Palmistry
by EKSmith
Summary: A story published in a local newspaper sets events in motion that turn the lives of a very unlikely pair upside down.  A vampire with the gift of foretelling holds clues to their future, but visions are never as simple as they initially seem.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N Major thanks to my wonderful beta, Robzbeanie, and my awesome prereader CShepherd91. You guys are the greatest! This story is inspired by a one-shot I wrote based on the Great Lake Swimmer's song Palmistry. Some of you may recognize the first part that is in italics. **

_Hands hugged tightly against her lukewarm coffee mug, Bella looked out onto the dreary sidewalk. Raindrops and fog pebbled and smeared the front window of the old cafe._

_Another day, another storm. They all felt the same now. Every day was coloured in grey. Shadows and clouds fuzzed the edges of what once was but no longer is. People would walk, some would talk, but nothing changed. Dim turned to dark. Dark turned to dim. All of it – every last little piece of the monotonous puzzle – could be summed up in one little word._

_Lonely._

_It is what she felt yesterday, last week, last month. It is what she felt in every aching movement, every tired stretch and yawn._

_She hadn't always felt this way. She remembered a brighter time, when flowers bloomed and she could smile. Six months on a calendar – an eternity in her heart._

_"I'm leaving you" can do a lot of bad things to a person. "I never loved you" does worse. The day Jacob Black left, taking everything that was known and familiar, was the day the light went out. Not to blackness, but to grey._

_It was worse because she loved him. Not in the heart fluttering, weak kneed, sweaty palms sort of way, but in a way that was comforting and safe. Their love was routine, it gave structure to her days. When everyone else had left, when everyone else gave up, Jacob was there. But he really wasn't. He didn't love her. He said never. He could have said he loved her, a past tense, but he said never, and that word alone made the world of a difference. And so, things turned grey._

_Two more mouthfuls and $1.49 later, the familiar and safe smell of too old coffee and bleach was replaced with the dewy freshness of newly fallen rain. Patches of dark grey sidewalk, drenched in the downpour were vanishing before her eyes and beneath her feet. Despite the sun, the colors of the concrete, the pavement, the bricks – hardness and stone cold were all she saw._

_She stared at her shoes, shuffling along the cement amongst the other feet, herding this way and that. She wondered how many of those feet had owners with lives that were also void of color. As dreary days became the norm, she refused to give up all hope. Part of her knew somehow, some way, she couldn't be alone in her feelings. Yet pieces of her were convinced she was._

_"There you are!" A chipper voice drew her attention from the cinderblocks. Standing before her was a slight woman, grinning from ear to ear. "I knew you were coming, come in!"_

_Bella had little time to hesitate. A delicate hand upon her shoulder directed her through an inconspicuous doorway flanked with a purple wooden door._

_"Um, I think you have the wrong person, I – " Bella started._

_"Oh Bella," the mysterious woman giggled. "You're exactly who I was looking for, silly. Now have a seat. I can't believe you're finally here."_

_Bella carefully perched on the edge of a thick plush chair. The woman moved a footstool closer and squatted down – so close their knees touched._

_"So Bella," she began, "Tell me what you need from me."_

_Bella stared at her. What she needed was an explanation._

_"How do you know me?" she softly spoke._

_"No need for that, we don't have time."_

_"But how – "_

_"Shh," the fortune teller soothed, taking Bella's hands and cupping them softly in her own. "Bella, do you have anything to lose?"_

_Bella shook her head no. She was nervous, but safe. She could feel it. She was feeling something. It was a start._

_"Ok. Just trust me."_

_This time she nodded._

_"Tell me how I won't feel lonely," Bella exhaled, her words no more than a quiet whisper. She didn't know where they came from, but they were right._

_The petite figure, swift and graceful, flipped Bella's hand over, gently cradling it between their laps. Her index finger traced the three deep, jagged lines in the centre of Bella's hand, then ran up the outer edge from her wrist to the tip of her pinky finger._

_Bella watched as her eyes went wide, in both excitement and wonder._

_"Oh Bella, you've been carrying a heavy load." Her words were soft, lilting. "But it stops here. This is now." She pointed to a place in the middle of her palm were the jagged lines became solid, strong._

_Bella, swallowing hard, accepted it. There was no need for doubt. She knew nothing of this woman, but knew it was true – hoped it was real._

_"The light is coming back, Bella. You'll see."_

_A week went by with nothing. Not really nothing, but nothing different than before. Skies were still dreary, days were still grey. Bella chalked her experience up to a little blip of excitement amongst the tedium. Surprising, but hocus-pocus. She added the embarrassment she felt at being so gullible to the jar of emotions she kept tucked neatly away – lid screwed on tight._

_Walking to the diner, the sky was hanging low. The air was heavy and wet. Bella was looking, but there was nothing to really see. Lines, cracks. Jagged chunks of cement chipped away by the heavy foot traffic adjacent to the overcrowded streets. The usual._

_It took her eyes a moment to adjust, her brain a moment to catch up. After months upon months of staring at grey, she was shocked to find, nestled in one of the familiar cracks, a burst of yellow. A touch of green._

_She knelt down, eliciting a "Watch It," a "What the hell" and a "Moron" from the passersby, but she was too stunned to care. Fuzzy yellow petals formed a tight yellow ball atop a weak and wilted stem. Carefully grazing the petals with the tip of her finger, she felt something she hadn't legitimately felt in a very long time. The blooming of an honest-to-goodness smile._

_Dandelion clutched tightly in her grasp, Bella entered the diner feeling lighter, but confused. Was the flower nothing but a coincidence? A burst of brightness in her droning day that just happened to creep from the crack for no reason than to confuse her? Or had the dandelions been there all along – only now she could see them?_

_She took her familiar place next to the window, righting the coffee mug. The waitress made her way over – a full, fresh pot in hand. Bella reached for the paper tucked neatly in her bag – she relied on it as a shield to avoid eye contact and idle conversation – but found herself moving slower than usual. Hand resting on the paper, she raised her chin and locked eyes with the waitress standing before her._

_"Oh. Hello, dear," the elderly woman, with perfectly painted crimson lips said gently. "Just the usual?"_

_The woman looked unsure, but Bella couldn't blame her. They had exchanged nothing more than nods. Yes's and no thank you's. In all of the months she'd been frequenting the same place, the same table –never once had Bella truly looked at her._

_"What's your name?" Bella asked quietly, her voice sounding out of place._

_"Oh, my dear. Shelly. Shelly Cope. And yours, love?"_

_"Bella. Bella Swan."_

_"Well my dear, that is lovely. What would you like to try today?"_

_More weeks passed. The darker greys gave way to slightly lighter tones. Dandelions, crimson lips, rich green salads and cream-filled coffee spotted every day with bursts of pigment. Bella looked forward to the brightness, feeling the heavy weight upon her shoulders lightened with every passing day, but she couldn't help but want for more._

_Sitting in her familiar spot in the old cafe, the smell of bleach lingering in the air, Bella admired the spiral of cream turning her murky black coffee a lighter shade of taupe. Raindrops and fog covered the window panes as usual. Within those tiny raindrops, beams of multihued light were cast across the chipped countertop. Blues, greens, reds. They were coming back, shade by shade._

_An unfamiliar voice rang out in the all too familiar place. A man, reddish hair, dark blue coat, pale white skin, stood at the front counter placing an order to go._

_He turned suddenly, as if something caught him by surprise._

_Eyes locked, green and brown. The walls warmed, every surface painted bright._

_"It's you. She told me –" he said, turning to face Bella, voice steady but soft. "She told me. You're ready for me. She said I'd find you when you're ready."_

_Bella nodded, eyes welling up, shades of sparkling light bursting from around him. She knew instantly what he spoke of._

_"Do you trust her? Has everything she said been true?" he asked, sliding onto the chair across from her. He was intensely serious._

_"Yes it has, but I – " Bella trailed off._

_"Please," he whispered softly, cupping her hands much like the fortune teller had done on that dreary day weeks ago. She didn't even flinch at his touch. It felt right – warm and safe._

_"Please. Take a chance on this with me. Just a walk. We'll talk. Please?"_

_"I just –" Bella paused, quickly recalling the palm reader's words. "I don't, um...Ok. I guess I have nothing else left to lose."_

_"Bella," he said, a grin forming at the corners of his mouth, "I'm Edward. I know this is all really weird, but you –" he paused, swallowing hard, "I think we could be something."_

_Moments later, hand in hand they burst through the diner doors, the colors around them vividly restored. From that point forward, for both Edward and Bella, grey days were no more._

xoxoxoxo

"I can't believe you did this!" Edward bellowed as he pounded aside the heavy wooden purple door, barged straight towards Alice, and slammed a torn-up copy of the Twilight Times directly on the counter in front of her.

"Why? It's vague. I changed some things. She sits at a bar – not a coffee shop – all the time, for one. And I erased that cutie-patootie bartender that has his eye on her and replaced him with a stuffy old waitress with tomato red lipstick or something. I thought you'd like that part," she smirked as she dusted off the large mahogany display case that housed crystals, tarot cards – an assortment of objects you'd expect to find in a fortune teller's shop.

"Not vague enough – it uses real names, Alice!" he raged. "What if she reads it?" His frustrations with his sister were mounting by the second. She always had meddling ways, but this had finally crossed the line.

"She will. And that's a good thing."

"How can that possibly be a good thing?"

"We can get the ball rolling on all this for once and for all?" she replied meekly.

"Ohhhh…I see!" he sarcastically barbed. "I can finally approach her? Oh, I know! It'll go exactly like this – Hi there, pretty human girl. My sister has telepathic visions, and I can read minds," he dramatically proclaimed.

"No, Edward – it won't be – "

"She wrote about your bleak existence and disastrous relationship in the Twilight Times, but the good news about all this is that we will be in love."

"That's not at all how it'll go and you know – "

"Why don't you come back to my house, Isabella? We can listen to music and I'll show you my fangs? Hmm?"

"Edward, stop! You've been alone for far too long – it's time. I'm sick of seeing you sulk, and you said it yourself – she sings to you. We'll work this out."

"You don't know that for certain."

"I know I don't, but I have a good feeling about it."

"A feeling isn't enough. Tacking Jasper's and your happy ending on to the end of that little tale you spun isn't going to make it a reality for me."

Alice crossed the room and took her brother's hands in her own.

"Of that I'm well aware, Edward. But gears are turning and things are falling into place. Put some trust in me, and you'll see. I won't lead you astray, you know that, and from what I'm seeing now, this all just may be easier than we think."

**Thank you for reading! Reviews are wonderful – I love to hear your thoughts. I have some of this story completed already, but I don't want to set a super strict schedule for updates quite yet. The next chapter will be along very soon. xoxo**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N Big thanks to my beta Robzbeanie and my prereader CShepherd91. You guys are awesome! xoxo**

Sunday mornings for Bella Swan typically meant nursing a hangover with a steaming cup of coffee and the Sunday paper. Leftover beer cans from the night before covered her table, and a trail of stripped-off clothing made a path from the front door to the only bedroom in her tiny apartment. All very ordinary. The guy she brought home the night before – Ben? Brian, was it? – was long gone. All it would have taken was a whiff of her morning breath to send him packing, she was certain, but that was fine. As usual, she didn't want him sticking around.

This Sunday, however, brought something out of the ordinary. Something very different. Bad different. With the Sunday edition of the Twilight Times resting in her lap, Bella found herself unable to breathe.

"Hands hugged tightly against her lukewarm coffee mug, Bella looked out onto the dreary sidewalk."

"The day Jacob Black left, taking everything that was known and familiar, was the day the light went out."

"Bella. Bella Swan."

With shaking hands, she picked the paper back up and took a closer look. "I must still be drunk –" she thought, reading the column again, then a third time, and finally a fourth.

She had no idea who would do something like this. She sat completely still, numb, while a barrage of questions rattled through her aching head. Who would pour her life out for the purpose of entertaining the masses in a weekly fictional column? What if people she knew read it? What if he read it? Who could do something like this?

When she finally emerged from her trance-like state, she did the first thing she always did in a time of crisis – she called Rose.

"Is that you?"

"Yeah, it's me – you ok? No, keep the change!" Rose said sweetly into the receiver.

"No. I'm not. At all. Get over here."

"What the hell happened? Do you need a doctor? Midol?"

"Listen to me, Rosalie Hale – do you have anything to do with this fuckery in the paper today?"

"Uh, what?"

"This story. Please, please tell me you know what's going on here and that there's something good involved in this."

"Bella, I have no idea what you're – "

"Cash prize? A trip? I'll understand if that's what it is!" she rambled, struggling to keep calm in hopes of extracting a confession from her best friend. She could yell and scream once she got the truth.

"Bella, Jesus. Calm down. I'll be there in ten, k?"

While she waited for Rose, Bella scrambled around to make herself somewhat presentable. She brushed her teeth, threw on some clean clothes, and picked up the evidence of her late-night sexual encounter scattered all over her apartment.

Not more than ten minutes later, Rose showed up in a flurry with two gigantic take-out cups of coffee and a bag of doughnuts.

"Here," Bella said, reaching for a cup and thrusting the paper at Rose. Rose scanned the article without a word, while Bella sat by nervously on the couch. She finally tossed it down on the messy table, letting out a whoosh of air.

"Ok. This is bizarre."

"You promise me it wasn't you?"

"I promise. I have no idea, and seriously, Bella – me? Write? Yeah, right. It could just be a coincidence. A really weird one, but it's possible," Rose offered, not looking entirely convinced.

Bella thought about that for a moment, slugging down the bitter corner store coffee.

"I guess that's true. It's not all the same. I drink booze – not coffee – for one, and I don't go to a diner all the time. I don't know anyone named Shelly. Hell, I'm worse off than this broken-hearted Bella hands down."

"Hey –" Rose scolded. "You stop that. It's weird, but it's not the end of the world or anything. Did you see this ad?" she asked, picking the paper back up from the table.

"What ad?"

"Right here – " she pointed to a picture of a half-moon surrounded by fog beneath the article. "Palmistry – experienced palm reader – see what your future holds. 2 for 1 special, bring a friend!"

"Oh hell no, Hale," Bella sighed, rolling her eyes.

"Aww, come on! It might be fun, right? I'll even pay?"

"I need to get to the bottom of this. I'm still freaked out! The last thing I need is to get more screwed up in all this craziness!"

"But the first thing you need is fun. It'll just be silly, and we can go out after? How often do we get the night off together, hmm?"

Bella thought about Rose's offer. She was right – they didn't get many nights off from the bar at the same time, and it had been awhile since they'd hit the town together. She was grateful that she had Rose. Aside from her one true friend, she considered herself otherwise emotionally alone. That didn't equate to physically, however. She had done her share of blind dates, internet dating, one-night stands – but there was nothing that would stick. All of that stuff was a temporary patch, but it never even began to fill the part of her that she always felt was missing.

"Ok, fine – we'll go," she resigned, "but I've got some phone calls and stuff to make first."

xoxoxoxox

It was another regular day for Edward Cullen. He parked himself on a worn-out wooden bench in his recently discovered favourite spot amongst the endless crowds of people packing the busy city sidewalks. He had his newspaper in hand and occupied himself with reviewing stocks.

Everyone in his family, or coven as some of his kind would say, had settled in well to life in the city. He was relieved that he didn't have to fake it anymore. For years he and his so-called siblings disguised themselves as high school kids to blend into society in a way that would be somewhat believable. They were frozen in time as vampires, he at a mere 17, while he was really in fact 107 years old. It was aggravating to play the part of a teen over and over again – new town, same gig. He was thankful for the anonymity and invisibility of the crowds and chaos the city provided.

The scent of her hit him with a warm gust of springtime breeze. She was across the street, heading into a tackily decorated sports bar that he knew she often frequented. There she was – the one whom he couldn't hear. The only one that he couldn't hear. Edward possessed a gift – the gift of mind reading – that proved to be nothing more than a burden in day to day life. In this girl, he finally saw peace.

It was only a few weeks ago, on a cloudy day when the Cullen family first moved to the city, from that very bench that he first spotted her leaving the bar. He first was drawn to the way she moved, so he followed her for a few blocks, newspaper in hand. As he grew closer it slammed into him like a freight train, stopping him short in his tracks – her scent. It was so unlike that of any other human, that words for once in his dead life failed to describe the beauty it held.

Doing what any other unassuming vegetarian vampire would, he ran. At human speed first to the edge of the city, then with a quickness that should have been unnatural to any creature on two feet.

His family had long ago abandoned human blood in favour of animals. Animal blood worked to keep the edge off, but the thirst he felt after his encounter on the street was insatiable. He hunted multiple deer, elk, bear, and still craved more.

He stayed out in the woods for three full days and nights. Alice had called him frantically, but he ignored her. In all the years he'd been with his family, he'd never experienced such a crack in his armour. He was too scared and far too embarrassed to face them. Jasper and Emmett had experienced many blips over the years – an unsuspecting cyclist here, a criminal or two there – but Edward was known for his impressive control.

When he thought he'd composed himself enough to return, Alice was waiting. He explained his experience to his sister in detail, and she pounced. She went on and on about "knowing this would happen" and that "it was meant to be."

She too possessed a gift that was rivalled amongst their kind: the gift of seeing the future. Coupled with Edward's ability to read minds, the two were known as "double-trouble" and considered quite a valuable pair. In fact, everyone in the Cullen family possessed a gift – some more obvious than others. Jasper's ability to control emotions, Esme's ability to erase memories, and Carlisle's ability to detect physical ailments in the human race made for a unique and talented crew.

All of that aside, the gifts the vampires were given were not without flaws. Edward knew that Alice's visions were often unreliable – changing as different decisions were made – but overall, she had a good track record. Good wasn't good enough for Edward in this case though – Alice told him not to worry and that things would work out fine, but no amount of consoling could shake the uncomfortable feeling he had in regards to this strange human.

Now, watching this girl – Bella – and her friend from across the street, he was regretting ever uttering his experience to his meddling sister. He'd worked on his control – gotten himself together enough to be able to watch her from afar – and had never expected anything more. Apparently, his sister had other plans.

xoxoxox

"Your mother seriously said that to you?" Rose shrieked over the classic rock music turned up just a tad too loud for the small crowd gathered so far. The girls had parked themselves next to the bar, and were starting on drinks as they waited for their food to arrive.

Bella had been busy on the phone for the rest of the day. She'd called Charlie, her father, and questioned him about the article. He'd naturally blamed her mother, Renee, and said something along the lines of "the fame whore probably sold your story to the devil."

Renee had gotten excited about the whole thing, calling Bella famous and rambling on about how sensational it all was. She'd failed to see that not only was the story not completely correct, but it was embarrassing for Bella. Not to mention weird.

"Yep. She actually told me to contact the paper and sue for royalties. She's so freakin' crazy," Bella sighed, tipping back a shot of tequila Mike had poured for her.

"Another, ladies?" Mike asked as he cleared away the empty shot glasses. Mike was the manager of the Metro Sports Bar, which made him the girls' boss. He was attractive, kind, funny – certainly a good catch. He liked Bella, and Bella knew it. Rose had pushed it a few times, but backed off after a while. Bella wasn't ready. She'd made it clear that she couldn't give him what he needed or deserved. The wounds left after Jacob were too big.

"Better not. We're going to get our palms read!" Rose clapped giddily, the tequila already starting to loosen her up.

"Ok – wait. So you two find out about this story today, and now you're actually going to find a freaky ass fortune teller? You girls on glue?"

"I know – tell the blonde," Bella sighed, scoping out the crowd that was slowly trickling in. She was glad to have the night off, but the tips would've been good. Plenty of businessmen were gathering, and they were generally a sure thing.

"Oh, come on. Lighten up," Rose scoffed at the skeptical pair. "It'll be silly, and funny, and we'll come back and party later."

"Good. And you never know – it might be legit," Mike said with a shrug.

"You don't actually believe in it, do you?" Rose laughed, as she reached for her food from the waitress.

"I don't know. Just be careful – I don't want you guys going anywhere that isn't safe, but maybe it's possible – ghosts exist." Mike sounded pretty sure of himself, but he looked at Bella hoping for back up.

"Yeah, it is possible. I don't even know what I believe anymore. We'll be back, k? It probably won't take long."

"Deal. But if anyone creeps on you," Mike said, puffing up his muscular chest, "you tell them you've got a big buddy behind the bar over here, ok?"

The girls moved themselves and their food to a table and left Mike to tend to the growing crowd. After one last shot – fittingly called "Liquid Courage" – they made their way from the bar straight into a cab towards Palmistry.

**That was fast, eh? I wanted to get this one out right away to give a little more background. The next chapter will be coming soon (but not quite this soon! lol). Thank you for reading and for your reviews – I always love to hear your thoughts! xoxo**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N Major thanks to my awesome beta Robzbeanie, and my lovely prereader CShepherd91. Thank you so much for all of your help! xoxo**

As Alice cracked open a can of "Brick Red #72" paint, she couldn't help but smile to herself, knowing what her night had in store. Before her special guests arrived, she had some necessary preparations to take care of.

Bella and her friend, Rose, would naturally be hesitant about meeting with her. Alice realised the implications that publishing the story about Bella in the public newspaper would have – people were nervous around those in her "profession" already, and now she'd given Bella even more reason to be wary. She needed to warm the pair up to her before she could start really working her "magic."

Alice had approached the Twilight Times with her story in hand, and after using her supernatural beauty and charm, she was able to twist the arm of the editor, who easily granted her the green light. He allowed her to submit her "fictional" story anonymously under the premise that it would be a good weekly feature – that it would "lighten" the news up a bit. She was clever enough to sneak an ad in for her shop beneath it all with no argument from those in charge.

Painting the door of her shop was a very important task. She wasn't certain that the girls would put two and two together, but her shop did in fact have a purple wooden door – just like the one that was mentioned in her story. If Bella realised this, the odds were very good that she would run away screaming before Alice even got her inside. Building a relationship with her clients was vital to her success, and in this case, it was of insurmountable importance.

The role of fortune teller was a natural fit for Alice. Her visions weren't always crystal clear, but they gave her significant information when it was needed. She was able to see both the past and future, and both presented themselves in different, distinguishable ways. Visions of the future were cast in her mind's eye in bright white light, whereas visions of the past had a darker, grainy feel. All she needed for her visions to appear was a lot of focus and some tangible contact with customers, and the art of palm reading lent itself perfectly to that. While she believed in many of the fundamentals of the craft, she mostly tweaked the art to fit visions that she couldn't logically describe to her human clientele. It was a perfect segue to tell them pieces of their future in a relatively believable manor.

Connecting Bella to Edward was second on her agenda, but she wasn't sure just how to do that quite yet. She could see them meeting, in her very store, but having him waltz in would likely scare the daylights out of the girls. Alice knew that it would have been too close to her story – too perfect. She would have to get her thinking cap on, and quickly.

Once the door was completed, Alice called her husband with strict instructions to keep Edward away and entertained for the evening. She then straightened up the shop, lit some incense and prepared herself for the girls' arrival.

xoxoxox

Edward sat in the coffee shop across the street from the sports bar, waiting for the girls to leave. He knew his waiting was slightly stalker-esque, but he meant no harm. He was at the point where he would do just about anything for a glimpse of Bella – she was the true highlight of his day.

He watched as they exited the bar a short time after arriving, and kept his eyes peeled until they were safely in a bright yellow cab.

He left some change and his untouched cup of cold coffee on the table and headed off in his car for home. The Cullen family had found a house just on the outskirts of the city – close enough that their commute was reasonable, but far enough away that they were awarded just enough privacy. He noticed the driveway empty, and was relieved to have a bit of time alone, if only for a while.

As soon as he reached the front steps, he realized that he wasn't in fact alone.

"_Left, left, no dammit!"_ he heard Jasper internally cursing. Odds were very good that his "brother" would be found in the games room on the Xbox. Giving in to his nature – now that he was safely behind closed doors – he darted through the house down the stairs and through the long hallways, and plopped himself on the couch.

"Wanna play?" Jasper asked, holding out a second controller. "You need to practice – Alice won't be back for a while, so now's the chance."

"Not right now," Edward sighed, sinking further into the plush cushions behind him. Jasper dropped his controller and stared at Edward, his expression showing concern.

"You're wired," he murmured and Edward knew he was right. Jasper possessed the gift of reading emotions, and had the ability to control the emotions of those around him. Jasper and Alice had joined Edward, Esme and Carlisle as a pair many years ago. They were mated partners who already followed the lifestyle of the Cullens – feeding on animals and disguising themselves amongst the human race seamlessly. Once they joined the family, the dynamics of the group certainly changed. Between the emotional intrusions, future-telling and mind-reading, the Cullens' ability to keep secrets from one another was almost non-existent.

"You could say that," Edward replied, as a wave of calming energy washed over him. "You don't need to do that, you know."

"Meh – consider it a favor. I'm the only one here, and I don't wanna deal with your high-strung ass all night. You're ruining my chi," Jasper smirked as he picked up his controller and got back into his racing game. Esme and Carlisle had left the home for a lengthy getaway on an island Carlisle had purchased in the tropics and often skipped off there for extra time to themselves. They were calling this vacation their fiftieth honeymoon.

Edward lobbed a pillow at Jasper, but he deflected it at lightning speed without taking his eyes off the TV.

"_Right, come on – farther! No! Don't spin!"_ Edward listened in on his brother. He seemed incredibly focused on his game – too focused, in fact. While Edward was able to turn his listening abilities on and off – and often did, out of respect for those close to him – he had a feeling that Jasper was trying to cover up something. His first suspicion, of course, was something to do with Alice.

"Have you talked to Alice lately?"

"Um, yeah?" Jasper replied nervously. The Star Spangled Banner started up in Jasper's head.

"And?" Edward pressed. _"Whose broad stripes and bright stars..."_ He was definitely hiding something.

"She told me to tell you to stay home, no matter what." He jerked to the left with his controller in hand, as if moving in that direction would make his car on the screen do the same. _"Oh say, does that star spangled…don't think about it, don't think about it…banner yet wave"_

Edward bolted upright on the edge of the couch, his fingers pressing indents into the wooden armrest. Alice was clearly capable of causing all kinds of grief. Although he knew her intentions were good, she'd done enough interfering in his business this week for a lifetime.

"What are you hiding from me?" he growled out.

"She's having company."

"Company?"

"Uh, yeah?" Jasper started projecting nervous energy – the task of keeping both his mind and emotions in balance clearly not working well for him. _"On the shore dimly seen….girl you like…through the mists of the…Oh shit."_

"You're kidding," Edward snapped.

"I'm not. Just relax, dude. She knows what she's doing." He put down the controller again and Edward felt another wash of calm.

"Stop that – I don't want it," he muttered, and shot up the stairs. He took a few deep breaths – not because he needed the air, but because he needed to calm down on his own. He picked up his cell phone from the unused kitchen counter. Careful not to apply too much pressure and shatter the thing, he typed out a text message to his sister.

E: I'm not happy about this.

He paced the kitchen, deciding that a hunt would be wise. He was too overwhelmed, too angry – at least addressing his thirst would bring some sort of peace.

Mere seconds later, his phone let out a soft beep. Sure enough, it was a text back from Alice.

A: I know, but you will be. xo

xoxoxoxox

Bella and Rose pulled up to Palmistry in their cab after a quick drive over from the bar. A "Wet Paint" sign was taped to the front of a bright red wooden door, and there was a small fluorescent "Open" sign in the front window that was cloaked in dark, heavy curtains. Bella was kind of surprised that she'd never noticed the place before – it was so close to her familiar neighbourhood, but she shrugged it off thinking that you don't usually see what you aren't looking for.

"Ready for this?" Rose asked, pulling the door open. A cloud of woody-scented air rushed out of the shop.

"As ready as I'll ever be," she grinned.

As soon as they stepped through the threshold, they were greeted by a beautiful, petite woman. Bella immediately noticed the amber colour of her eyes – they surely had to be contacts.

"Hey, can I help you guys?" the lady chirped.

"We're here for a palm reading?" Rose spoke for them.

"Sure! I'm Alice, and I can definitely do that. You girls ever had this done before?"

"Nope," they answered in unison.

"Well, come get comfy – you're in for a treat!"

After some brief introductions, the girls settled in comfortably. Bella was pleasantly surprised – the shop was bright, clean and not nearly as spooky as she had imagined it to be. She watched Alice closely as she gave a description of her services. She had expected a large woman draped in a multicoloured muumuu like Ms. Cleo – whom her mother had always watched on TV – to speak at them in tongues, but Alice looked just like anybody else and seemed friendly and pleasant. She moved gracefully, and Bella couldn't keep her eyes off of her.

"So, what brought you two in here?" Alice asked sweetly as she set up her table. She lit a pair of candles and placed a "Busy – Come back soon!" sign up on the front door.

"It's kind of a crazy story, actually," Rose started. "There was a new feature thing published in the paper this week – some fiction story type thing? The story they used was insanely close to Bella's life. Even had the name Bella and the name of her ex in it."

"Probably just a coincidence," Bella shrugged, but it didn't seem believable.

"We saw the ad for this place beneath it and thought – what the hell!" Rose exclaimed, clapping her hands together.

"That's so crazy!" Alice giggled, "but good advertising for me on their part. I'll have to check this story out, and thank them!" The girls chuckled along with her, but Bella's laughter didn't sound as sincere.

"I think I want to do yours first, Rose – is that ok?" Alice asked.

"Go for it."

Bella watched attentively as Alice took both of Rose's hands and laid them palm up on her table atop a relatively flat black velvet pillow.

"I always like to give a little history with my readings, but just tell me to shut it if you start getting bored," she teased, tugging gently on Rose's wrists to bring her hands closer for more thorough observation.

"The art of palm reading goes way, way back. Its actual origin is often argued about," she explained as she ran her fingertips softly up and down each of Rose's slender fingers, one at a time.

"Some people believe that the right and left hands hold different messages. Left for the past, right for the future, for example. Even the shape of your fingers and palm can hold meaning for some, but for me?" she smirked locking eyes with Bella. "I just go with my gut – read what my instincts tell me to."

As Alice bent down to take a closer look, Rose's foot nudged Bella from underneath the table. Bella gave her a quick smack to the leg back – she wasn't so sure how much of this she believed in, but she wasn't about to be disrespectful to Alice either. She'd given her no reason to be.

"I can see from this area here – " Alice ran her fingers over the fleshy area next to Rose's thumb, "that you are happy in your skin, take pride in your health, and are generally satisfied with your physical appearance. Would you say that's true?"

"Yeah, I guess so," Rose shrugged. She was absolutely beautiful, this was no secret.

"But here – " Alice pointed to the thick, somewhat broken line that ran horizontally across the center of Rose's palm, "I see some sort of trauma."

Rose swallowed hard. There was trauma. It wasn't long before Bella had started working at The Metro that Rose fell victim to one of the most unspeakable crimes out there. Leaving work early and alone left her vulnerable to an attack that would change her outlook on life and men forever.

"There was," she replied softly. Alice just nodded.

"I can see here – see how the line gets strong again after this broken section?" Rose leaned in for a closer look. "That's your head line, and from here out it's clear and strong. And your life line? Right here?" she traced the line next to the mound she first examined, all the way up to the pad just below Rose's index finger. "You've got an extra one – which means you have extra vitality and positive energy around you. I see that you recover well from difficult situations – that's what these lines sticking up past your life line tell me."

"Wow. All that just from looking at my hand?" Rose sighed in disbelief, trying as always to make light of the situation. Neither she nor Bella expected things to go this deep.

"It's pretty amazing, isn't it? Would you girls like a cup of tea? I'm freezing in here!" Alice offered, using the excuse that she was cold to make her chilly fingers seem normal.

"Sure," both girls replied.

"Ok, give me five minutes!" Alice chirped, then quickly sprinted off to the back of the store.

"Holy shit, Bella," Rose whispered, keeping her voice low. "That's pretty bang on."

"I know. I'm kinda surprised. Are you ok after all of that?" The attack was a very touchy subject for Rose, and Bella was stunned at the accuracy of it all.

"I think so. Just shocked. What the hell is she gonna say about you?"

xoxoxox

Back in the storage room, Alice plugged the kettle in for tea and noticed five missed calls on her cell phone.

Edward, Edward, Jasper, Edward, Edward.

She couldn't be bothered with them though – she needed to think. She knew that Edward had cracked Jasper, so he already knew she was up to something involving Bella, but she couldn't face him until she had more answers. It would drive him wild, but he could wait.

A little minor investigating, once Edward found Bella, told her that Bella had had her heart broken. All it took was a few well-placed phone calls – under the guise of a long lost friend from summer camp – to find out that she had left her old town for the city after a nasty break-up with her high school flame, Jacob Black. Alice knew she could work something about real, true love into her reading, but that alone wouldn't bring her to Edward.

The possibility of panic on Bella's part was gigantic if Alice were to introduce her brother as Edward – she'd already seen it. Edward was right in a way – the use of real names in her story probably wasn't the smartest idea – but she needed the story she wrote to hit Bella hard enough to truly catch her eye. Using real names had seemed like the only way.

Suddenly, the answer became very clear. She dropped two peppermint tea bags into a pair of ceramic mugs, topped them with water and a squirt of honey at vampire speed, and headed back through the curtain towards the girls.

xoxoxox

"So sorry to keep you waiting, ladies!" Alice called out as she spun through the thick velvet curtain and delivered a steaming tea cup to each of both Rose and Bella. "Your turn, Bella."

Bella scooted over and placed her palms atop the satin cushion in the same manner Rose had before her. Alice took to immediately studying the small hands in front of her, grateful that the mugs had warmed her hands a little.

"Wow. You have great lines – lots to see here," Alice murmured, mostly to herself. She took Bella's hands and flipped them over, studying closely the backs of her fingers, her knuckles – even the shape of her cuticles.

"Is that a bad thing?" Bella asked, taking a quick sip from her cup with the hand Alice had left free.

"Well, no. It isn't – " Alice stopped, gently biting her lip, her brow furrowed. "But I'm having a hard time getting a clear reading off of you."

"Go figure," Bella chuckled, trying to play it off lightly, but deep down she felt unsettled by this and she wasn't sure where it was coming from.

After what felt like minutes of silence, but was probably only seconds, Alice spoke up. "I'm so sorry, Bella, but I don't think I can accurately do this tonight. This does happen once in a while – I feel awful!"

"Oh – don't worry. It's totally fine," Bella replied. "Rose got hers done, and we're just here for fun anyway, so – " she shrugged it off, but the feeling in her gut told her something fishy was going on.

"No, no, no," Alice cut her off, studying her palm even closer. "Rose's reading is on the house, and I'll read you again in a few days free of charge. Please come back? I need to know for my own sake," Alice pleaded, pulling out all the stops to look upset.

"Yeah, we'll come back," Rose answered for them both. "I mean, this was fun and pretty cool. I'm up for more. Maybe you can even cleanse my chakras or something," Rose chuckled, looking up at the sign with a detailed list of services on the wall.

Alice grinned and playfully rolled her eyes. "I'll throw that in for ya too, ok? How about tomorrow? Mid afternoon?"

"I think that'll work," Bella replied, going over her schedule in her head. "I don't think we start work til six."

"Awesome. Thank you both so much for coming – I'm still new around here, and don't really know many people. It's been nice meeting you both."

"We're heading out for drinks, if you want to join us – " Rose offered casually.

"Aww – thank you so much!" Alice beamed, "But I have to pass. Hubby's starving – I'd better be getting home." She smirked, knowing this wasn't in fact a fib. "You girls have a great night!"

xoxoxox

In the cab on the way back to The Metro, the girls were mostly silent. It was Rose that finally spoke up.

"I liked her. She was fun. Surprisingly accurate for me, too."

"I liked her too, but it was still weird."

"She was nice though. Not creepy."

"A little creepy," Bella said under her breath, earning a giggle from her best friend.

"Ok, a little. Good creepy, though. Not freaky creepy. I'm kinda excited to go back."

"Me too," Bella sighed, and actually meant it. "But for now? Enough about all this. Let's just go get our drink on."

xoxoxoxo

As Alice watched the cab pull away, she squealed aloud to herself in delight. She hurriedly punched her brother's phone number into her keypad, knowing he'd pick up almost instantly.

"Alice? You ready to tell me what the hell is going on?" Edward barked into the receiver.

"Oh, Masen," she giggled. "Have I ever got a plan for you!"

**Thank you so much for reading and reviewing. I love to hear your thoughts! All of my stories are also posted on adifferentforest, where I'm a ranger (aka moderator). If you haven't popped over to check it out, do so – it's an awesome site! **


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N Huge thanks to my awesome beta Robzbeanie, and my lovely prereader CShepherd91. XOXO**

As Bella guzzled down the last inch or so of her beer, she took a moment to take in her surroundings. She and Rose had been dropped off at The Metro, and spent their time there explaining the experience they had had at Palmistry to Mike over martinis. As the crowd started to thin out, they followed suit and headed down a few doors to Eclipse – a nightclub with dim lighting, scantily clad waitresses and loud, bass-heavy music provided by a seasoned DJ.

"You wanna dance?" Rose called out to her as she pushed her way back through the crowd, fresh drinks for them both in hand. "Lauren and Jess just showed up and they're already wasted – you know what that means!" she yelled, bumping her hips into Bella's.

Lauren and Jessica were friends of Rose's that Bella had met once she started working at The Metro, as both girls were past employees. It was actually Jessica's job that Bella had filled. Rumor had it that Jessica and Mike had a "thing" and that they didn't leave things on very good terms, but it wasn't something that Bella pressed about. She didn't like the drama and felt that not knowing was a better position to be in.

"Ladies!" Jessica hollered out from behind her, Lauren hot on her heels. She staggered through the thick wall of people surrounding the small table Bella had perched herself at and leaned up against Rose for support. "You girls look good! Shots on me, but first I wanna dance!" She swayed a bit, the bright pink cocktail in her glass sloshing around.

"I'm not dancing, but you guys go – gimme your purses. I'll watch the drinks," Bella offered.

"Aww, Bell-a," Jessica whined, while Lauren stared off into the crowd, looking disinterested as usual. "You sure?" she asked, already piling her heavy designer handbag atop Rose's on the table.

"I'm sure. Go – have fun."

This was nothing out of the ordinary for Bella – the girls danced, and she people-watched. She hadn't gotten very close to Jessica or Lauren outside of the bar scene, and for her that was just fine. She enjoyed blending into the crowd. After years of living in a tiny town where everyone knew everything about you – no matter where you went – it was a relief to escape.

While a series of songs played, Bella chuckled to herself at her friends making a spectacle of themselves on the dance floor. Every once in a while, Rose would catch her eye and start in on some particularly lewd moves, knowing it would bring a smile to Bella's face.

"How'd you get stuck with this job?" a tall, dark man asked with a grin, pointing to the table topped with purses.

"Oh – I don't dance, but my friends do," Bella said, caught a bit off guard at his sudden appearance. He was definitely attractive – standing a full head over her. Bella's eyes were immediately drawn to the broadness of his chest in a black button down shirt. He had light eyes and a gentle smile.

"I see. Mind if I join you? Seems like you've got a decent view here."

"Um, sure," Bella replied, "I'm Bella."

"Seth," he replied, extending his hand. From over his shoulder she locked eyes for a second with Rose who was giving her a double thumbs up.

Bella and Seth made small talk with one another about work, hobbies – nothing special. It was obvious to Bella that he was warming her up. After the girls made a reappearance at the table to grab their drinks and head for the bathroom, Bella's suspicions were confirmed.

"Do you want to get out of here? Go somewhere quiet, or back to my place? I live pretty close," he breathed, leaning in close to Bella's ear. His breath smelled like sweet peppermints, and though she was tempted, something in her gut just didn't feel quite right.

She brushed it off as stress from the crazy events of the day and politely said her goodbyes. They exchanged numbers, but Bella doubted she'd ever call.

xoxoxoxox

Alice braced herself as she put her car in park in the driveway of the Cullens' home. She knew what was coming. As soon as she pulled the key from the ignition, Edward appeared in a flash snapping her door wide open.

"You didn't have to hang up on me, you know," she whined, collecting her purse from the passenger seat.

"I didn't have anything nice to say," Edward replied, his face set in a grimace. Alice knew her brother to be the sulky type, but this was genuine anger.

"You could start with thank you? You're the best sister ever? I owe you big time for plotting towards my eternal happiness?" she said sweetly, well aware that this would aggravate him further. She started walking towards the front door, while Edward trailed closely on her heels. She purposely focused her mind on visions she'd seen – a vision of Edward and Bella walking in a tree-filled park, another of them on a snowy hillside laughing and happy. When she reached the kitchen, she simply turned to him with a smirk.

"You're messing with things that shouldn't be messed with," he practically growled.

"I'm just making friends. Right now, that's all I'm asking from you, too. You can be friendly, can't you?"

"She's different though, Alice. You know that."

Alice sighed. She did know – Edward's attraction to Bella wasn't nearly as simple as the relationships they'd formed with other humans in the past. Jasper had shared a story of a human he referred to as his "singer" with her shortly after their meeting, and in turn had shared it with Edward recently. That story ended in the death of an innocent woman. Edward's anxiety wasn't completely unfounded.

"Will you please just come tomorrow? Meet her face to face?" she pleaded.

"I don't want to scare her."

"If we introduce you as Masen – like I told you – we won't. This is gonna take some time, Edward, but it'll work out if you'd just put some damn faith in me."

xoxoxoxoxo

Bella woke the next morning at a decent hour but couldn't escape the groggy feeling she felt, even after multiple cups of coffee. She'd left the club early enough the night before that she was able to bank a solid eight hours of sleep, but she still didn't feel rested.

She took her time in the shower buffing, scrubbing and shaving everything while singing along as the radio played the Top 40 countdown. She dressed in her favourite pair of worn-in jeans and an old concert t-shirt and braided her hair. She knew she'd have time to get "bar appropriate" later – for now, she was looking forward to a day off in her comfiest favourite things.

Bella straightened up her apartment while she waited for Rose to show with brunch. With the way things were going at the club when she left, the odds were good that Rose would be rocking thick black sunglasses on top of last night's makeup – the possibility for a walk of shame in the same dress she'd had on was also very high.

Bella opened her blinds, cranked open her window and was surprised by the slight chill in the air. The girls had planned on walking back over to Palmistry today, and while the weather wasn't miserable, she still threw on a sweater and tossed her umbrella in her purse to be safe.

"I think I'm having an aneurysm. You'd better enjoy this bagel, 'cause I damn near puked in the Starbucks line for it," Rose groaned, shoving open the door to Bella's apartment.

"Aww, princess," Bella teased as she took the bag of take out from Rose and started setting up on her coffee table. "You look better than I expected, actually."

Rose was in fact wearing her darkest glasses, but she was showered and in clean clothes.

"What the hell's that supposed to mean?" she asked, tilting her glasses down to give Bella her best bitch-glare.

"I just expected you'd be out all night. The norm?"

Rose threw a throw pillow at her.

"For your information – I did meet someone. But it was different," Rose shrugged.

"Do tell," Bella replied, taking a bite of the egg and cheese bagel Rose had selected.

"He's a DJ at Eclipse. His name is Emmett, and we talked. Almost all night long."

"And then?"

"We fell asleep on my couch."

"Shut up."

"I'm serious!" she squealed. "We're meeting tomorrow for dinner, too. But hey – what happened with that hottie you were talking to?"

"Seth? I don't know. I just wasn't feeling it."

"What's happening to us, Swan? We're losing our A-game."

"Maybe Alice will have our answers," Bella said, sending both girls into giggles. "We should get going though – don't wanna be late!"

xoxoxoxoxo

Palmistry looked different in daylight. Heavy curtains still covered the front window, but the storefront somehow looked cheerier to Bella. She figured it was perhaps due to her changing feelings about the place. She wasn't nearly as wary heading back this time – in fact, she was looking forward to visiting with Alice.

Rose opened the red wooden door again, and the girls were greeted by Alice who was shuffling a deck of cards behind the dark wooden counter.

"Hey guys!" she beamed, hopping up from her chair.

"We're back. A little groggy, but me made it," Rose said with a yawn.

"I'm so glad you girls came. Make yourselves comfortable, k?" Alice said cheerfully as she started about the same routine as she had the night before, lighting candles and laying out her velvet pillow. "My brother's here installing some new lights, but he won't be sticking around long. We'll get started right away. Masen?" she called out towards the curtain closing off the back room. "Come meet my new friends!"

Bella instantly felt sucked back to her seat. The single most beautiful man she'd ever laid eyes on appeared from behind the heavy velvet curtain. She forced herself to blink to be certain he was real.

"Masen, this is Rose," Alice said, pointing towards her. He gave her a warm nod and a quick wave.

"And this is Bella."

"Bella," he repeated, his voice so smooth that Bella felt momentarily faint. His expression was almost alarming – he looked as if he was embarrassed at the sound of his own voice. "It's a pleasure to meet you – both of you," he corrected.

"Are you an electrician, Masen?" Rose spoke up sweetly. Bella could tell that her friend was working her own "magic" – she'd perched herself on the edge of her chair, had her head tilted just so, and had tucked her honey-coloured hair behind her ears. All signature "Rose stage 3 mac zone" material.

"Oh, no. Just helping my sister out," he mumbled awkwardly, twirling a light bulb in his fingertips, his eyes still locked on Bella. She could feel the weight of his stare, the intensity giving her goose bumps.

"Well that's sweet of you," Rose cooed. She had always been a charmer – an expert at it, in fact – but Masen seemed unaffected, oddly enough.

"Masen just owes me a favour or two," Alice interjected with a smirk.

"I should let you ladies carry on. I'll be in the back, Alice." He slipped back behind the curtain and Bella felt her breath return.

"Holy shit, Alice. Your brother's a hottie," Rose blurted out. "Right, Bella?"

Bella swallowed hard, realising her tongue was stuck to the roof of her mouth. "Uh, yeah?" she softly replied.

"He gets that a lot. He's shy – it's been hard for him being in a new place. He's not the most outgoing, finds it's hard to meet people, you know?"

All Bella could do in reply was dumbly nod. She couldn't figure out what the hell had gotten into her.

"Enough about Masen though," Alice said, reaching across the table for Bella's hand, "let me take a closer look here."

xoxoxoxo

Edward stood as still as a statue behind the back curtain, hanging on every word spoken between Bella and Alice. He had to give Alice credit – she pulled off this palm reading act flawlessly, her words believable and even encouraging.

Being in such close quarters with Bella was hard for him – both her scent and the pull he felt towards her as he watched her from the streets were magnified in the tiny space of the shop – but it was not as unpleasant as he had assumed it would be. Everything about her was magnetic magic – the positive energy he felt in her presence overshadowed the cravings for her blood and the hint of venom on his tongue.

He strengthened his confirmation that he couldn't hear her thoughts – while visions of fornicating with him ran on a loop through Rose's mind, Bella was a complete blank slate. From somewhere inside himself, he wondered if she felt even a fraction of what he was feeling – if the overwhelming emotions could possibly be reciprocated. He shook those thoughts away, quickly getting back to the task of reinstalling a light fixture he'd only installed a week prior, reminding himself that no good could possibly come from this. He was already much too close.

xoxoxo

"So, as I said – I definitely see love, and plenty of new opportunities," Alice said with a smile, her fingertips softly sweeping the centre of Bella's palm.

"See? Not so bad!" Rose poked Bella in the rib with her elbow.

"I do see that you can be somewhat of a skeptic. It'll be important for you moving forward to try to keep an open mind – look for the good in others. Your heart line shows me that you have reasons not to easily trust, but if you go with your instincts you'll be fine," Alice added, patting Bella twice on the backside of her hand.

"Thanks for this, Alice," Bella said with a sigh. "That's good advice." Bella still had her doubts about the legitimacy of the whole process, but Alice's words did hit a nerve. Even after everything she'd been through – with her parents, with Jake – she knew it was time to start letting people in. Figuring out how to do that was the problem.

"It's been a pleasure. I hope this isn't the last I'll see of you, though?" Alice asked, her eyes wide. She looked like someone had run over her puppy.

Bella thought about that for a second – she had no plans to return to the shop in the immediate future, but Alice was friendly and kind. Taking her advice from moments before, she went out on a limb. "Why don't we have lunch tomorrow? That work for you, Rose?"

"I've got a hair appointment. You girls go this time. We can all get together later this week if you want," Rose replied, her eyes glued to her cell phone as she typed out a text.

"I'd love that, Bella. I hear it's gonna rain though – could I pick you up?"

"Sure. Let me write down my address – noon?" Bella asked, pulling an old receipt from her purse to scribble her details on. She was ready to make her escape and didn't want to waste any more time – she needed to be alone to mentally process whatever it was that she was feeling when she was introduced to Alice's brother.

"That's perfect," Alice replied, beaming like a child on Christmas. "I can't wait!"

**Thank you so much for reading and reviewing! I love to hear your thoughts – drop me a line with questions, comments or even just a hello! Updates have basically been coming weekly, and I hope to keep that up. xoxo**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N Huge thanks to my beta Robzbeanie, and my prereader CShepherd91, for all their hard work and help! xoxo**

"If you don't find out more about him tomorrow, I'll hunt down the little mind-reader and drag the details out of her myself," Rose hollered out at Bella as they made their way through the crowds on the busy city sidewalk. "A guy of that calibre isn't someone you just pass up – and he was totally staring at you."

"I don't know. Knowing my luck, I had a booger and he's married and/or gay," Bella replied dryly. They'd only just left Palmistry, but Bella couldn't get the visual of Masen out of her mind. His fingertips on the light bulb he'd been twirling, the strange copper color of his hair, the smooth deep tone of his voice – it all attacked her senses to the point that she wasn't sure she'd be able to count change from her purse for coffee from their favourite shop.

"Glass half full, Swan. Alice said it – it's time to start opening up and stuff. What's there to lose?" Rose asked.

"My last shred of dignity?"

"Oh please – quit the freakin' pity party. Ask a few questions – see what he's about. You never know?"

"I know – you're right. He was hot – I'll dig a little," Bella sighed, trying her best to appear nonchalant. She figured she could ask a few questions without it being too obvious that she was stupidly attracted to the guy – a guy she'd only laid eyes on for seconds.

"Good. Now – about my date tonight…"

Rose went on for the next block and half about "DJ Emmett," whom she was meeting that evening for a quick dinner before work. Bella couldn't recall a time where she had seen her friend so excited over someone. Rose, much like Bella, was more of a casual dater – after being hurt one too many times, she enjoyed the freedom and fun that came with single city life. Although Bella wanted to be excited for Rose, the cynical part of her couldn't help but worry how Rose would react if things didn't go smoothly. Trying to stick with Rose's glass half full theory, she pushed those thoughts aside and got back to focusing on her friend's happiness.

Once they reached the coffee shop, Bella ordered coffee for them both. They picked up their orders, gave each other a quick hug and parted ways for their own apartments.

Bella quickly checked her mail inside the door to the building – finding nothing but the typical pile of bills, flyers and a magazine. As soon as she walked through her own door, she noticed the "message waiting" light blinking on her phone. She didn't have many people that regularly called, so it was a surprise. She flopped down on her bed, cordless phone in hand, and pushed the buttons to access her messages.

"Hey Bella – it's Mike. I really need you to come in an hour early tonight – sorry, kiddo."

She groaned aloud to her empty apartment, pulling her duvet up over herself on her unmade bed. All she really wanted was to curl up under her blankets distraction-free and process every second of her meeting at Palmistry. It was concerning and kind of scary – not feeling like yourself did that to a person. Something about the 30-second engagement she had with Masen was odd – she was around men all the time, and never before felt the way she was feeling – but she couldn't put her finger on what exactly it was that was strange about it.

She thought for a moment that maybe – just maybe – he'd felt taken aback by her, too. He had repeated her name aloud – said it was nice to meet her, and he truly was staring at her the entire time. Bella didn't have a lot to compare her attraction to. The only real relationship – and strong attraction – she'd had for another person was with Jake. She thought back to when they first met– they were just 15 and 16, but she remembered feeling warm, fluttery feelings for him. It was comfortable, safe, warm – but nothing even close to the intensity of what she was feeling now. The other guys she'd been with since – many good-looking, charismatic guys with lots to offer – never held any real draw either.

"I'm such a girl," Bella mumbled to the still air around her. She scolded herself for over-analyzing the entire situation with Masen, and tried to tell herself that it probably didn't mean anything. After tossing about and stretching out for a few minutes, she crawled up off her bed, opened up her makeup palate and set to work on getting ready for her shift. Being called into work wasn't exactly a bad thing – at least it would keep her mind occupied.

xoxoxoxoxox

After hanging the "Closed – Come back soon!" sign in her store window just after noon, Alice knew she had some follow-up to do with her brother. The meeting with Bella had gone smoothly – even smoother than she had expected – but she knew he'd be a brooding mess over the entire thing.

Courtesy of her ability, she knew exactly where Edward would be. After dropping off her car in the driveway of the Cullens' home, she gracefully climbed her way through the dense trees and brush surrounding their property.

With ease, she pulled herself up to a high branch on a sparse spruce tree. She watched as Edward crouched over the still-warm carcass of a deer he'd found only minutes before she arrived. She waited a moment – out of respect for the delicate act that hunting was for their kind – allowing her brother to finish up with his feeding. She knew how badly he needed it.

"Come down, Alice. I know you're there."

"I know you do," she replied sweetly, hopping down from the height of the branch with ease. "Things went pretty good there today, wouldn't you say?"

"I suppose you could say that," Edward replied, crossing his arms across his chest. He started pacing – something he was known to do when deep in thought.

"You didn't try to eat her – that's a start, right?" Alice said brightly.

"Not funny."

"I think it is. But anyway – we need to get you guys together again."

"I don't think that's wise," he said with a sigh, his eyes not meeting hers.

"But Edward!" Alice cried, stomping her foot. She was already tired of going in circles on this. "Today was good progress, but there's still more work to do!"

After a few solid moments of silence, Edward sat down on the trunk of a fallen tree and finally spoke – his voice so low that no one but those of their own race would have been able to hear him. "She's a human, Alice. What part of that are you forgetting here?"

"I'm not forgetting anything. I see you two happy together. You can see it through me, so don't you try and tell me any different."

"Human. Being."

"That's just logistics. We'll cross that bridge later or something."

"Right – because her fragile humanity is nothing to break a sweat over."

"Listen to me, Edward Anthony Cullen – I'm meeting her for coffee tomorrow, and you're gonna come with me. We do this one day at a time."

"Mountain lion," Edward said sharply, snapping up from the decaying log. "Your husband's here – we can talk about this more at home."

As quickly as Edward shot away, Jasper shot into the small valley. So distracted by her conversation with Edward, Alice didn't even notice him approaching.

"Y'all ok up here?" Jasper drawled, taking his partner's hands in his own. "I couldn't stay away. I could feel the tension rolling off you two from way back."

"I think so," Alice said with a sigh. "He's doubting me though, isn't he?"

"He's conflicted. Worried. Frustrated, but I don't think it's just with you."

"Oh really?" she snorted. "I'd be frustrated with me," she giggled, giving her husband a quick kiss to the cheek. "You don't have to spare my feelings, Jas."

"I'm really not – gratitude was in there. He's just confused. Let him go – give him time. For now?" he murmured, pulled her slim hips to his own "We hunt. And then? We take advantage of all this extra privacy."

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Bella arrived to The Metro even earlier than Mike needed her. It had started to drizzle lightly, and with her mind moving a mile a minute at home, she figured it was best to get out of there. She justified it further with the excuse that if she waited it might rain harder, and that would just ruin her hair.

"Bella! Thanks for coming early – I need some help with the bottle counts," Mike called out at her from behind the bar. The bar was still really quiet – apart from a few of the regulars, it was otherwise empty.

"I did those just the other night, but I can do them again if you want," Bella replied, finding it odd that he'd called her in just for that. Mike was a good boss – understanding, fair – and usually well organized. It seemed kind of silly to her that he'd need her for something that was a part of the regular schedule.

"That'd be good. How'd your palm reading go?" he asked with a grin.

"It was fine. There wasn't really anything too hocus-pocus about it. She gave me some pretty good advice," Bella answered with a shrug.

"Did you ask her to figure out who wrote that story in the paper?"

"No, but I don't think it works like that," she chuckled. Truthfully, she was just trying to put that whole mess in the paper behind her. "I'm meeting Alice tomorrow for coffee – she's nice. I think you'd like her."

"Well, bring her in sometime. Here's the list – I got the imports done." Mike handed her the clipboard and pen. "When you're done back there, maybe we could clean out the coolers up here?"

"You got it, boss," Bella replied. She poured herself a diet soda and got to work in the back.

"Twenty-three, twenty-four…" Bella counted aloud, so as to not lose her place. It didn't take her long to get all of the beer added up. She'd fashioned herself a seat out of a large empty bucket and had worked out an efficient system. The task was pretty dull, but it did keep her mind distracted, which was exactly what she needed.

"Hey Bella?" Mike called back, poking his head through the swinging door. "Can I get you up here for a bit? We can finish these up later."

"Um, sure – but I'm almost done."

"Don't worry about it – Rose can finish up if you don't get the chance," he replied. He seemed antsy – he was responding to Bella, but kept looking back towards the bar over his shoulder.

"Ok – just gimme a sec to put this stuff away."

Bella hung the clipboard and pen back on the nail where they belonged and made her way up front. She expected to walk out to a rush of people – maybe a team or a large business group – but the bar was still empty.

Mike was back at the taps pouring a pair of drinks – vodka and cranberry juice. "Whatcha need up here, Mike?" Bella asked.

"Oh, uh – just wondering if you could start boxing up the stock in that cooler so we can wipe it out."

"Okey-doke."

"Also – um, I have a favour to ask," Mike stuttered, his cheeks and ears heating up.

"Ok?"

"I have to go to this grand opening thing on Thursday for that new steak place on 15th? We're sponsoring their party – and I need a date."

"Oh – um…I don't know," Bella stuttered, her own cheeks flaring up. Mike had dropped hints that he was interested in her before – Rose had worked as somewhat of a middle man for him on that – but he'd never flat out asked her out.

"Just as friends – nothing weird – what do ya say? It'll be a free dinner?" he chuckled nervously, trying to lighten things up.

"Just as friends? I think I can do that." It was going to be a public thing – lots of people she knew would probably be there, so it wouldn't be too intimate.

"Awesome. Thanks," Mike said with a wide smile, placing the drinks he'd mixed up on the bar.

Bella got to work on emptying the cooler, but just a few moments later was stopped by a familiar female voice.

"Oh my gosh, Mike. Thanks for mixing those! I had to pee sooooo bad!" Jessica giggled. She and Lauren grabbed their drinks from the bar top and started digging in their purses for cash.

"No prob. Those are on the house, ladies," he said with a nod.

"Hey Bella! I didn't know you were here, too!" Jessica's bubbly voice rang out. "Mike's got ya doing the dirty work, I see."

"Yeah – but I don't mind."

"Then you're a better employee than I ever was!" Jessica giggled. "You and Rose will have to come out with us again this weekend, if you're free. That was sooo much fun!"

"It was a good time. I'll check my schedule." Although Jessica was a bit of a nuisance, her company on a late night out was always entertaining.

"So about that dinner –" Mike said, turning towards Bella and cutting into the girls' conversation. "I'll pick you up at six?"

Everyone went silent.

"Lauren – pick a table," Jessica said quietly to her friend. "I'll talk to you guys later." Just like that, Jessica's enthusiasm had completed deflated.

Bella was stunned. She'd heard the rumors of Mike and Jessica's rocky relationship. It was something that everyone knew – and now, for Mike to bring up their "friend date" in front of her? It didn't look or feel good.

"Why'd you do that?" Bella asked, her voice cold.

"Do what? You need to know when I'm coming, don't you?" Mike shrugged her off like it was no big deal.

"Yeah, sure Mike. I'm gonna go finish those counts." Bella stomped off, pushing the swinging back door roughly open. She was furious – it suddenly became very clear to her that Mike had set the whole thing up. He knew that Jessica would be coming in, and that by asking Bella about the "date" in front of her, he was just trying to make Jess jealous. It was stupid and childish, and Bella wanted no part of it.

She hid out in the back room as long as she could stretch it. It was at least a full hour later that Rose finally came looking for her.

"What the hell are you still doing back here?" she asked, bursting through the doors. "It's getting busy – you should get up front. I wanna tell you about my date, too!"

"I'm alphabetizing these bottles, thank you very much. You won't believe what Mike did." Bella brought Rose up to speed on the situation, and Rose agreed – he definitely had ulterior motives, and it was a "dick move."

"Listen – that was stupid of him, but he's not a total asshole. I'll swap you tonight – you work the floor, I'll go behind the bar with him. That'll give you some space, k?"

Bella thanked her and quickly got to work taking orders from the mostly full tables. The crowd was steady all night, and as cash-out time rolled in, Bella was quite satisfied with the tips she'd be taking home.

"How are you gettin' home, blondie?" Bella called out to Rose, who was still counting out her float.

"Emmett's coming to get me in a half hour. He dropped me off after dinner – went to work his shift and said he'd come get me. Wanna wait for a ride?"

"No, no – I'm good," Bella replied with a yawn, gathering up her purse and coat from the staff area. She hadn't worked out a plan for getting home yet, but figured it wouldn't be horrible to walk alone this once. Mike usually walked the girls home – seeing as they all lived in the same area it made sense, but after the events earlier in the night, that was the last thing she wanted.

"I'll walk you," Mike offered sheepishly. He hadn't spoken to Bella all night after she stomped away from him. She knew he knew that he screwed up.

"No, Mike. It's fine – I'll get in a cab outside or something. And by the way – I'm busy Thursday. You guys all have a great night." Bella turned on her heels, proud of herself for standing her ground, and headed out for home.

xoxoxoxoxoxox

Edward couldn't believe she'd be so foolish. Watching Bella leave the bar on her own late at night brought out all kinds of fierce, protective feelings from him that he'd never felt before. He loved his family – would do anything for any of them – but this was different. It was primal. The outrage he felt at her complete lack of self-preservation was alarming.

He followed Bella back to her home in the shadows of the night. It was just a few short blocks, but it was very late and the slight rain from earlier hadn't let up. He wondered if she was cold and wished that it would've been acceptable to just appear before her and offer up his coat.

He tried to fool himself into thinking that his following her was purely for safety reasons. While it was most importantly for that purpose, he wanted – needed – to know where she lived. When Bella stopped in front of a tall brick building and pulled her keys from her purse, he knew she must have arrived. By the looks of it, the building was home to only a few small units, and was well behind the times as far as security was concerned. There was no doorman or code– just a simple lock on the front door.

Bella disappeared inside, and Edward waited to be sure she made it to her suite. As light filled a window on the third floor, Bella's silhouette appeared, leaning over to close the lightweight curtains. Edward noted an easily accessible fire escape right next to her side window, which he didn't like one bit. While he was glad that she could get out quickly if need be, the possibility of intruders was great. He felt a need to keep a closer eye on things – he couldn't bear it if she was hurt.

Back at home, Edward began prepping for Alice's "date." After much internal debate, he decided to give it a try after all. He made up his mind – he'd meet with Bella again and he'd do his best to work with his sister. There was still enough of a barrier set up between them that it was safe – enough of a barrier that he could back away if need be. It would crush him, but he was confident that he could retreat if it was best for her.

This dating game was fairly new to him. Never before had he experienced such a strong attraction towards another person that mattered. To please his family, he'd made an effort by going on arranged dates with others of his kind in the past, but it had never worked out in his favor. Being able to read the minds of those around him was often embarrassing in those situations – he was able to determine the motives of the opposite sex before they'd even uttered a word to him, and most often those motives equalled sex.

Perhaps he was old fashioned, but casual encounters of a sexual nature were never something he pursued. His standards and values had adapted with the changing times, but he still wasn't willing to give his body over without bringing along his heart. He was able to tolerate the uncomfortable feelings associated with such things, but it wasn't something he regularly desired to deal with.

And yet, here he was agonizing over what to wear to meet with a woman – a human woman whom he could destroy in one false move – for nothing but a simple cup of coffee that he wouldn't even drink. He ran his fingers through his hair in frustration just as Alice called out – "Pick the jeans! Tweed makes you look old."

Smirking at his sister's insight, he set aside his clean clothes and ducked out into the night for a last-minute insurance hunt. Things would definitely be much easier that way.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Right on the dot at noon, Alice pulled up in front of Bella's apartment. It wasn't quite raining yet, but dark clouds were looming. Bella wasn't sure exactly what she was expecting Alice to drive, but a fancy, two-door yellow sports car certainly wasn't it.

"Hey Bella! Get in here – you look cold!" Alice called through the unrolled passenger side window.

"Hey! I'm ok. Thanks for grabbing me though – where do you want to go?" Bella climbed in and sunk back in the comfy leather seats. She didn't really care where they went, so long as they served coffee. She had had another lousy sleep, which she blamed mostly on her frustrations with Mike. She was still reeling over it – how a guy whom she thought so highly of, considered a friend, could use her like that.

"I know a good spot – it's just a short drive away," Alice said with a grin. As Alice drove, Bella took the chance to glance at her profile. She was ridiculously beautiful – with tiny, delicate features on a very petite frame. The few times Bella had seen her, she was always dressed impeccably – careful attention was paid to the fabrics and details of every outfit. Bella wished she had an eye for such things, but felt safer and more comfortable sticking to her old tried and true standbys like cotton and denim.

One thing that stuck out at Bella was the paleness of Alice's skin. She wondered if maybe her new friend was anemic – she'd had a friend back in elementary school that was anemic, and she was always pale. Alice didn't look unhealthy, and Bella herself was naturally pasty, so she figured it wasn't a big deal.

They pulled up moments later in front of a tiny shop Bella had never seen before. It had a French sign on the front, and through the small front windows, Bella could see a few tables decorated with bright white tablecloths. It looked much fancier than anything she was used to – she felt embarrassed in her jeans.

"Here's the place! They have the best pastries here – or so I'm told," Alice said with a grin.

"You've never had them?" Bella asked curiously, following Alice through the front door.

"Oh – no. Food allergies," Alice shrugged. "But please – eat if you're hungry. Jasper and I had a late breakfast."

"Who's Jasper?" Bella asked, following Alice to a table in the back. The waitress gave Alice a small wave and disappeared into the kitchen. Aside from a few people in the front, the place was mostly quiet.

"He's my husband. Hopefully you guys can meet one of these days."

"Oh – right. I think you mentioned you were married."

"Yep. Love of my forever."

"So, you guys are new to the city, right?"

"We are – we all came out in batches. My parents came first and bought their house. Me and Jasper came later – they've got a suite in their new place that's perfect for us for now. Masen came just recently."

Bella felt her cheeks grow hot just at the mention of his name.

"Do you ever go crazy? I know I would – I can barely take a day with Charlie or Renee."

"Jasper and I don't find it too bad – our parents travel a lot. Masen has a harder time though – you know, living with two married couples as a single guy?"

"I bet that would be weird," Bella replied, internally beaming at Alice's casual use of the word "single."

"Yeah – he hates feeling like the fifth wheel. Oh –" Alice startled at her phone beeping from her purse. "Speak of the devil!" She glanced at her screen, reading what appeared to be a text message.

"Oh shoot! I left my daytimer on the counter – I'm gonna need it for this afternoon. You don't mind if Masen brings it by, do you?"

"Oh – um, no. Of course not." Bella's fingers immediately went to her hair. She needed to get to the bathroom to fix herself up if he was planning on showing up.

"Ok, thanks. He's already on his way. So – tell me about your job?"

They carried on with small talk about work – Bella filling in Alice on the situation with Mike the night before, and sharing a few of her favourite "Metro horror stories." Talking with Alice was easy – it was as if they'd known each other forever. Alice explained to Bella how she's always had great intuition – even as a young girl – and how that was the driving force behind her career choice as a palm reader. Bella also learned that Masen and Alice were adopted, but didn't feel right prying for details about that at this point.

Alice ordered an assortment of pastries without even looking at the menu, and both girls had their coffee mugs filled. After devouring one of the flaky treats and guzzling down half of her mug, Bella slipped out to the bathroom to fix herself up. She dotted on a little lip gloss and used her fingers to smooth out some of the frizzy kinks in her hair. Figuring that was better than nothing, she headed back towards the table.

Masen was seated next to Alice directly across from her spot. She slowed her pace a little in preparation – giving her mind time to adjust to the sight of him. He had on a blue button down shirt beneath a grey coat, and his hair was just as messy as it was the day before at Palmistry. He was fiddling with a napkin, while Alice was talking to him in a hushed voice.

"Hey – I ordered you more coffee!" Alice called out once she saw Bella. "Masen – you remember Bella, right?"

"Of course," he said, his voice sounding even smoother than Bella remembered it. He was working that stare again – the weight of it felt like a lead blanket, warm and heavy. The intensity of his presence was something that Bella just couldn't wrap her head around – he turned her into a pile of mush. "My sister here can be a bit forgetful."

"I'm not forgetful – just way too busy," Alice brushed him off and started flipping through her daytimer.

Bella took a sip of her coffee, and mustering up all of the nerves she had, she asked, "How are you liking it here? Alice said you're new to the city?"

"I don't mind the crowds. It's quiet at home, so I have an escape – it's been a good change," he said with a warm smile. Bella couldn't get over the colour of his eyes – Alice had said they were adopted, but the pair shared the same amber hue.

"Oh no, you guys! I double booked again!" Alice interrupted, frantically flipping around the pages in her book.

"When?" Masen asked, peeking over her shoulder.

"Saturday – the same day as that small business fair. I have that family coming in for a group reading – how am I gonna do this?"

"Is there anything I can do?" Bella piped in. Alice had been good to her – she could help out her new friend.

"Are you free this weekend?" Alice asked.

"I don't work until six on Saturday – otherwise, no plans."

"I would owe you forever. Masen was gonna work my booth with me – so the two of you could do it? I can't very well ask you to go read palms for me, right?"

"That future-telling stuff is all her department," Masen grinned and got up from his seat. Bella felt faint. "I should let you get back to your brunch, ladies. It was great to see you again, Bella. I'll see you this weekend," he said, softly tucking in his chair.

"Um, yep. Same," Bella mumbled, cursing herself for being so foolish. "Bye, Masen."

Bella stared as he made his way out the door. He was so tall and yet so graceful – a combination not often seen.

"Bella?" Alice's soft voice snapped her out of her daze, "forgive me if I'm wrong here, but do you happen to have the hots for my brother?"

If Bella thought her face had flushed earlier, it was nothing compared to the burning feeling her cheeks had now. "Um – I guess so? I'm sorry, Alice. He's just not your everyday guy, you know?"

"It's ok. It's actually great!" she beamed. "You guys will get to hang out Saturday, too – eek! I'm so excited!"

"I hope that wasn't painfully obvious," Bella chuckled nervously. If Alice had picked up on her bumbling idiocy, surely Masen had as well.

"Don't even worry about it – when it comes to girls, Masen's pretty much stunned. We should get going though – I've got a shop to go open!"

The girls squared up the bill – with Alice insisting on paying even though she didn't eat a thing – and Alice dropped Bella back off at home on her way to Palmistry. They made arrangements to talk before the end of the week to work out the details for the small business fair, and parted ways.

Once she unlocked her front door, Bella took the stairs to her apartment two at a time – she had big news, and her first priority was to share it with Rose.

**Thank you so much for reading and reviewing. I love to hear your thoughts! If you haven't yet – drop me a line to let me know how you found this story. Happy Holidays! xoxo**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N Major thanks to my awesome prereader CShepherd91 and my amazing beta Robzbeanie. You guys are the greatest! xoxo**

After his meeting with Bella at the coffee shop – which went much smoother than expected – Edward found himself at the bench of his piano. Since moving to the city, he hadn't so much as skimmed the keys, but that afternoon he felt compelled to play. He started with a few familiar classics, but soon graduated to something new – a soft and soothing lullaby led by his fingers alone.

He was startled out of his melody by the ringing of his phone.

"What I can do for you now, Alice?" he sighed into the receiver.

"We've got a bit of a situation here," she replied, her voice unnaturally high.

"We do, do we?" he questioned, while plunking the odd key loudly in the background. His sister's constant texting and phone calls were starting to wear his patience thin.

"Don't be annoying. You need to call your brother."

"Jasper?" he asked, confused. He had just spoke to Jasper in passing when he arrived home – he'd been on his way to see Alice at the shop when Edward arrived at the house.

"No. The other one."

"Emmett? Why? What'd he do now?" Edward asked, bracing himself. The last thing he needed was to deal with another of Emmett's mistakes. Calling Esme home from her holiday with Carlisle to erase any damage done – if it was even possible – was the last thing he wanted to do.

"Well – despite our differences, I still check up on him. Buddy's taking a page from your book, actually."

"What do you mean?"

"He's got his eyes set on a human – and not just any human – our dear Bella's best friend, Rose."

"Alice, don't tell me that he's – "

"No, no – it's not like that," she quickly interjected. "He's been good lately, but I don't know what he's said to her, or –"

"Ok – fine," he cut her off. At first he'd feared the worst – his brother was often referred to amongst their family as a "loose cannon." Emmett hopping back on the human blood train wouldn't have been a surprise, but Edward was relieved to learn that wasn't the case. Despite having that cleared up, he knew that he still needed to figure out what Emmett was in fact up to, and fast. "I'll deal with him."

xoxoxoxo

As Edward arrived in front of Emmett's apartment, he could hear the sound of heavy bass and turntables working from the sidewalk. To the naked human ear, they wouldn't have been audible until at least the 9th floor – Emmett lived in the penthouse suite on the 13th.

Carlisle had sired Emmett a mere thirty years ago. He found Emmett after he was attacked by a bear during a hunting accident while on a mountain hunting trip of his own. The only special ability that Emmett possessed was incomparable strength. It certainly wasn't nothing to bat an eye at – Emmett definitely was a force to be reckoned with – but Edward often felt that perhaps the simple nature of Emmett's gift was the reason he felt more comfortable around humans than he did around his own family and kind. Emmett's power didn't set him apart from humans as distinctly as the rest of the family's abilities did.

Right from the time of his change, Emmett struggled with his existence as a vampire. He was notoriously promiscuous, impulsive in satisfying his thirst, and rarely stayed in one place for more than a few weeks at a time. He despised the thought of being babysat by his new family. The first few months after his change, the Cullens followed him closely – keeping tabs and correcting his wrongdoings, but the time finally came when they had to let him go his own way.

He worked in various jobs where he could keep an air of mystery. Nightclubs were perfect for him – he made no attachments, was concealed by the cover of darkness, and with his size and strength he was easily hired on as a bouncer or doorman. While his slip-ups were at their worst in his first 10 years – with his most recent taking place just over two years ago – Emmett, as well as the entire Cullen family, always felt that it was just a matter of time before another occurred. That's why it had been such a surprise to Edward – and everyone else – when Emmett moved back so close to the Cullens' home turf.

As soon as Edward exited the elevator, he spotted Emmett standing in the doorway of his suite. He was shirtless – as usual – and was holding a bottle of glow-in-the-dark body paint in one hand, a paint brush in the other.

"You look ridiculous," Edward called out to his brother, immediately relieved by the amber hue of his eyes.

"It's all part of the night life, bro – you should give it a try sometime. Loosen up a little," Emmett replied bluntly. His giant frame blocked the entire doorway, and Edward knew right away that he was tense.

"Can I come in?"

"If you aren't here to bitch at me, then yes – yes you can." Emmett took a big deliberate step out of the way.

"I'm not, but we need to talk. This place is nice – I apologize for not coming around sooner."

"No, you don't," Emmett brushed him off, "but whatever. Can I get you anything? A beer? A cookie?"

"What a lovely hostess you are. Just hilarious, too," Edward replied snidely, and sat himself down on Emmett's overstuffed leather couch. The place was decorated in a very masculine fashion – black furniture with red and stainless steel accents filled the place. His DJ equipment was tucked neatly in the far corner – cases filled with music and computer equipment sat next to it. While the apartment wasn't decorated to Edward's tastes, he noted that it was a step up for Emmett – he typically lived in what looked like a frat house, minus the old pizza boxes and empty beer cans. He wondered if perhaps his brother really was mentally maturing.

"The parents still gone? I haven't had my ass ridden in, oh –" he glanced up at the universal clock on the wall, "three and a half weeks?"

"They are. I don't know exactly when they'll be back."

"Huh. So, what brings you here today then, Eddie?"

"I need to talk to you about a girl," Edward replied, cutting to the chase. He'd been trying to avoid listening in on Emmett's thoughts – as he often did with his family – but had been picking up on "what the hell is he doing here" messages from Emmett since the moment he stepped foot in the elevator.

"Well – foreplay is important. If you go in there without proper prep, it's like a cactus –"

"No! Good grief – it's not like that," Edward scowled back at him. Emmett made it very clear from the time they'd first met – both through his words and his thoughts – that he didn't understand, or even care to understand, Edward's "dated" morals and values.

"Damn it. I'm still rooting for you though, despite what you may think."

"Just – listen, alright? Alice actually sent me. I know that you've been seeing a human."

Emmett was silent for a moment, but Edward knew this wasn't going to go over well.

"See? Do you see why I can't take it? Being around all you crazy fools?" he yelled, bursting up from his chair. "What? You here to tell me that it's dangerous?" he scoffed, tossing a throw pillow across the room, tipping over the small jar of body paint he'd left resting on the table. "That you don't want to move again? How is any of that my problem? Nobody's dead!"

"No, actually – I'm not," Edward replied softly as he sprung to his feet, followed his brother to the useless dining room table, and righted the bottle of paint. He realized he needed to cool his brother down fast – the last thing he needed was for Emmett to get worked up and destroy the place. "Just settle down a minute – please. I'm only here to tell you that I'm in the same boat."

While Emmett sat by staring in disbelief, Edward brought him up to speed. He explained how Alice meddled with the newspaper article, how Bella came to Palmistry, bringing her best friend Rose – his Rose – to the shop with her. He explained his overwhelming connection and draw to Bella, all while Emmett sat nodding his head.

"Well, this could fuck up everything," Emmett deeply sighed.

"Exactly," Edward replied with a sigh of his own. "She thinks my name's Masen, and she's getting close with Alice. I was ok in close company with her – I was in control – but I just don't know. I hate that I'm lying to her. I don't understand how you can be so nonchalant about all of this."

"You know me – I don't do relationships and crap. But Rose is different, man. It's like you said – she's the only thing I can think about, and I actually don't mind just talking to her. I even like it. I don't know – maybe I'll just change her."

"You can't be serious," Edward scoffed. He couldn't believe his brother would think it was all just that easy.

"I don't know, dude. I might be. There's always Esme. If I tell Rose, and she freaks out, Es could wipe her clean, worst case scenario."

"You can't just use Esme to clean up your mistakes. How many times does Carlisle have to tell you that? It's hard on her."

"Well, I think this one might just be worthwhile, for what it's worth. And who are you to tell me what to do? Look at the pot calling the kettle hot."

"Black, Em. It's black. I know I'm being a hypocrite, but I'm also being careful. Alice is helping me out – making sure it's safe. She's been like a guide – you should consider the same thing."

"Hell no, bro. I love the twerp, but I can't stand the magic eight ball bullshit and you know that."

"But could you stand hurting Rose?"

Emmett took a big breath and gazed down at his hands. He growled aloud in distress then stared Edward right in the eyes. "Point taken. I don't know. I'll think about shit."

"Good. Do that. For now, please just try to keep things casual? We'll agree not to mention one another. Deal?"

"Deal. And keep me posted – if it's not coming straight from Al, I might as well hear updates from you. "Now – you can either get out of my house, or you can help me paint my back."

xoxoxoxo

"It was kinda weird – I mean, I get being on a diet – but not being able to eat anything on the menu? What is this P90X thing, anyway? It sounds like hell!"

Bella had spent nearly an hour lying on the couch listening to Rose dissect every little detail about her dinner date with DJ Emmett, and bringing Rose up to date on the situation with Masen over the phone.

"He's just so damn hot though. I guess it must be working for him. You know what else is weird, speaking of hot?"

"Hmm?" Bella mumbled while twisting the cap off a bottle of nail polish with her teeth.

"He hasn't even tried to sleep with me. I'm still hot, right?"

"Of course you are."

"Then why?" she pouted.

"I don't know – maybe it's a good thing? Wouldn't hurt to shack up with a guy with some values and stuff, would it?"

"No, obviously. But ugh – I'm gonna get carpal tunnel here." Bella couldn't help but laugh at her friend's apparent misery. "Bella! It's not funny!"

"I'm sorry," she sighed, wiping a smudge of polish from her cuticle. "It's just – don't pay so much attention to all the weird. You had fun, you're attracted to him – focus on that."

"You're right, I know. But you – Little Miss "Masen's Too Good For Me" – should start taking your own advice."

It was true – Bella knew that she was being a hypocrite, but she couldn't shake the anxious feeling in her belly at the thought of spending a full day with Masen that coming weekend. He was too – everything. Handsome, polite, sexy – she also couldn't stop thinking that he was just too good to be true.

"Ok," she resigned, "we'll both take it."

xoxoxoxo

At three am on Friday morning Edward found himself wandering the dark and mostly empty streets. Alice and Jasper had retreated to their quarters back home, and he didn't even need to read their minds to know what their intentions were with one another for the evening. He could feel the sexual energy radiating off Jasper from the moment Alice stepped foot in the door after work.

His feet, or his mind, or perhaps a combination of the two led him to the street below Bella's apartment. She was working that day – Alice had spoken to her earlier about plans for the business fair, but he mostly kept his distance.

Part of him knew this was wrong – he was stooping to the level of a stalker, but couldn't help himself. He'd only known her officially for little over a week – spoken to her only a few words – but he already knew he'd surely perish if something ever happened to her.

He eyed up the fire escape that had caught his eye on his past visit. It was too open – too easy. He flung himself on top of it with a simple stretch of his arm, landing atop the rusted metal without sound. He felt marginally better once he caught her scent. The steady pattern of her breathing – the slightly slower rhythm of her heartbeat – told him she was contently at rest and likely asleep.

Peeking into the window was the farthest he'd have gone yet, but he needed to see with his own eyes that she was really ok. He knew that he was kidding himself – there was no reason to believe otherwise – but he couldn't help it.

Bella had left on her small bedside lamp – it cast a warm glow over the room where she lay asleep. A half-full glass of water sat on her bedside table atop a leather-bound book that had the word "journal" stretched along the spine. She was dressed in a simple pair of sleep shorts and a tank top. Her long legs were stretched out haphazardly and had kicked the blankets into a tangled mess at her feet. Her hair was everywhere – in her face, covering her pillowcase – Edward squeezed his fingers tight into a fist, overcome by the urge to rush in and tuck it back behind her ear.

Edward took a quick scan of his surroundings – a dog barked in the next alley over, a newspaper blew down the sidewalk in the light breeze, and sirens could be heard blaring and beeping at various spots in the distance. The lights were off in the surrounding apartments and he was mostly cloaked in the shadows of the night. He figured it would be fine if he stayed for just a little while.

He spent much more time than he should have picking at the brick and mortar just outside Bella's window. She was a restless sleeper – tossing and turning, and muttering in her sleep. Phrases such as "why Jake", "can't stay here", and "no!" punctuated her dreams, but she settled on her own without rising to a fully awakened state. He wished he could peek inside her dreams – see what she was seeing in her subconscious state. Dreams were fascinating for Edward to study, and were a piece of humanity that he craved from time to time. While he appreciated the silence Bella's mind gave him, he was deeply curious as to where her thoughts wandered when she wasn't in control of them.

He sat as still as a statue, keeping watch over the sleeping beauty like a gothic gargoyle, perched on the edge of her windowsill. It wasn't until Bella murmured "Masen" in a light and happy sigh that he shot up from his place, feeling an impossible twinge in his chest and a smile curling up in the corners of his mouth.

Only Edward knew that he wasn't really Masen. He wasn't anything Bella thought Masen might be, and that thought made him panic. As quickly as his smile had appeared, a deep scowl took its place and he leaped gracefully from the fire escape. He headed straight towards the city limits with hopes that hunting could take the edge off the guilt and ease at least a little of the ache that came along with acknowledging the reality of the situation at hand.

**My apologies for the wait on this one – real life got hectic, but things are great now. Thank you so much for reading – I love to hear your thoughts! xoxo**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N My sincerest apologies for the wait on this chapter. Life has been very hectic, but should be back to normalish now. ;) Big thanks as always to my amazing beta Robzbeanie and my lovely prereader CShepherd91 – you guys are awesome! xo**

Combing his hair in the mirror in preparation for the business fair, Edward's mind drifted to peculiar places. He found himself thinking about what his mother would have thought of Bella if she had ever had the chance to meet her. In his day, it was rare for a woman to hold a job outside of the home, and they certainly didn't drink. It wasn't unheard of for women to only be allowed out in the evening escorted, either. Bella was independent, confident – a modern woman in every way. While Edward didn't have many clear memories from his human days, he still had a few of his mother and enjoyed letting his imagination wander.

A series of what ifs raced through Edward's mind, erasing the lighter imaginative thoughts. What if Bella asked difficult questions? What if she somehow knew more than she let on about him, or about Alice? What if she actually touched him?

He knew that touching her on his own accord would more than likely be equivalent to playing with fire, but he was fairly confident that touching wouldn't even be an issue. Humans were generally inclined to stay away from vampires, or at least be wary of them – it was in their nature. Bella was a peculiar case. She hadn't shied away from either himself or Alice at the shop or the diner, but Edward chalked it up to the fact that the setting in those places was different. This meeting with Bella would be more intimate, and he wondered if perhaps she would finally see him for what he truly was – a creature to be feared.

If Bella ever found out where Edward had been at 2 am on Friday morning, he knew she'd see him for the monstrosity he felt he was. Perched on his familiar spot on the fire escape, Edward had noticed that she looked cold – that her blankets had been kicked to the foot of her bed. Without even thinking, he'd stepped inside her window – silent and graceful – only to bolt straight back out three feet in. He just couldn't do it – he'd already crossed a line by just being there. Edward vowed to himself that he wouldn't let his night-stalking go any further, out of respect for Bella. What started as a quest to ensure her safety needed to remain just that and nothing more.

Part of him hoped that perhaps one day he could visit her by invitation – not necessarily in her most private of spaces, but just an invitation to spend time in her company. While he revelled in the idea for a moment, the brief burst of joy was quickly replaced with guilt. Guilt that he shouldn't be desiring such things, shouldn't be encouraging a connection with someone who surely deserves better than a monster like himself.

He redirected his mind back to the task at hand, and dampened a washcloth to run over his face. He was putting a phenomenal amount of faith in his sister. It was hard for him to relinquish control, but he remembered Alice seeing a vision of himself and Bella laughing in a park full of tents. That was as good of a sign as any. Today, she would be safe.

Xoxoxoxo

Bella woke Saturday morning after the best sleep she'd had in a long time. For once she remembered her dreams – she was with Masen having coffee at the same shop where she'd met him and Alice, but this time they were alone and laughing. It was a nice change from her regular fitful nights.

After a quick shower, a yogurt and a muffin, Bella set out for The Metro. It was still closed, so she made sure to bring her keys. She was glad that she'd woken up early enough, as the last thing she wanted to do was face Mike yet. She'd worked a few shifts since the incident with Jessica, but they were during busier times. She was able to avoid Mike for the most part, and Rose had acted like a reliable buffer – sticking to her side if there was the chance for Mike to catch her alone. While she knew she'd have to smooth things over with Mike sooner rather than later, she was still bitter. She needed more time.

Inside the bar, Bella copied down her schedule for the upcoming week off of the back wall, quickly went through some inventory, shut off the lights and locked up. Satisfied that she was able to get in and out undetected, she pulled out her cell phone and dialed Alice.

"I knew you were gonna call soon." Alice's perky voice rang out through the receiver. "You excited for today?"

"I am! Nervous though – I don't want to screw any of this up for you! I know you like things a certain way," Bella replied, making her way through the crowds on the busy city sidewalks.

"There's really nothing to screw up – just smile, pass out the pamphlets, and you'll be good. I've got a feeling that that isn't all you're nervous about though, right?" Alice gently teased.

"Yeah, I guess Masen being there might have something to do with it," Bella sighed.

"Well, he might be kinda shy – a little awkward, but I know he's really excited to do this with you – you've definitely caught his eye."

"I don't know what to say to that – now I'm gonna be even more weird!" Despite feeling a little uncomfortable with her new knowledge, it excited Bella that Masen was looking forward to spending the day with her as much as she was with him.

"Oh please. Just be yourself – give him a chance. You guys will have a blast – I know it. Dress warm, follow my instructions for the display stuff and you'll be fine."

xoxoxoxoxo

Donning a thick hoodie beneath her windbreaker, Bella arrived at the small business fair with two cups of steaming hot coffee just in time to help with setup before the crowds started pouring in. The forecast called for showers, but so far only a light drizzle filled the air. She was already chilly and was fearing that it would be a long day outdoors. She was grateful that the tables were protected by heavy white canvas tents that filled the entire center area of the park, just in case the skies decided to open up.

She spotted Masen almost instantly – amongst the hustle and bustle of people packing boxes and arranging their tables, he stuck out like a sore thumb. He was too handsome, too perfect. From just a few yards back, Bella noticed how smoothly he moved – how his shoulder blades flexed beneath his thin black shirt while he lifted boxes from the ground to the table top, how the heavy breeze messed around his already messy hair. He was so striking that women hauling boxes of candles, cosmetics and homemade crafts would gape at him while they passed by, but Masen seemed entirely oblivious.

"Masen?" Bella called out, approaching him. "I brought you some coffee!"

"Oh – thanks." He took the cup and set it on top of the dark purple table cloth he'd already laid out without taking a sip. "I'm just getting started here – it shouldn't take long."

"Well, I got some very specific instructions from Alice about how this is all supposed to look," Bella said with a sigh, taking in the stacks of trifold brochures in front of her, the sign done in fancy calligraphy illustrating services and prices that needed to be hung, a decorative crystal ball to add "sparkle" to the display. Everything was labelled with little sticky notes – specific instructions that led Bella to believe that her predictions about Alice's obsessive tendencies were correct.

"Yes, but Alice isn't here, is she?" he said with a smirk.

"Touché," Bella replied with a grin. Although she was still a bit nervous about making a fool of herself, she was starting to relax a little. Masen made it easy. "Where should we start then?"

Masen had already drafted his own plan of how the display could easily come together, and Bella happily followed along. In no time, the signage was posted, the table top was decorated with an assortment of crystals, and Masen had laid out the brochures in front of a pair of fold-up chairs behind the table.

After getting a brief tutorial, Bella set to work on folding. She couldn't help but notice Masen's long fingers as he worked just beside her – how he folded each seam of the trifold so perfect and straight. He made it look so easy.

"I give up!" she huffed, after her first weak attempt. "How can you do that so well? I'm making a mess of these – Alice would flip at me!"

"I guess I'm just good with my hands," he replied, keeping his gaze on the paper in front of him.

Bella almost choked – a tiny giggle escaping despite her attempt to hold it down.

"I mean – I play piano, and a few other instruments," Masen quickly recovered, the corners of his mouth turning up in embarrassment. "I do all the stuff with details for my family – I've got the patience."

"Well, that explains it. I used to do all the cooking growing up in my house – I held all the talent there."

"Your family isn't around here, right?"

"Nope. Rarely see them," Bella replied quickly. Things were moving in a more somber direction quickly.

"Do you like it like that?"

"I do most of the time. My parents meant well, but neither of them was really cut out for parenthood. They're more like friends, I guess." Bella was shocked at how easy it was to open up to Masen about her personal life. She would've normally been annoyed at someone asking her questions about her family, but with Masen she wanted to share it.

"What brought you here? Why this place?" he continued, stacking the perfectly folded papers in an easily reachable pile.

"I needed a change," Bella replied. "A clean break – I'd stuck around my hometown far too long. My fiancé and I broke up, and it was bad. I just –" she paused, wishing she hadn't said the last bit. "You don't need to hear about that – I'm sorry."

"No," he interrupted her. "Don't be sorry. I like learning about you. I mean, hearing your story. I – um, yeah," he stuttered, trailing off and focusing even harder on the remaining pamphlets in front of him. Bella watched as he nervously licked his lips, and she felt her own cheeks flush. His embarrassment was sweet – it made her feel less exposed, less vulnerable to not be the only one feeling that way.

"Same with you," she finally replied, with a small grin. "Tell me more about what you do with the stocks and trading stuff."

The rest of the time at the fair passed quickly, despite the chilly dampness in the air. Masen had offered up his coat to Bella several times, and as much as she wanted it, she couldn't take it. He didn't seem like the type to put on a macho act, but he still left the garment draped over the back of her chair just in case she changed her mind.

Pedestrians wandered through – some stopping for a brochure while others passed casting strange sideways glances at the pair. The odd woman would approach Masen with a detailed series of questions, bat her eyelashes and try to work her charms. While he was polite, he never returned the flirtations, and Bella appreciated that.

Multiple games of x's and o's on the back of some spare paper and more comfortable conversation passed the time as the crowds closed out. Caught up in the company of each other, neither Bella nor Masen noticed that those around them had started packing up their booths.

"Looks like we'll be the last ones out of here," Masen remarked, looking down the strip of tables beside them. "Alice will be waiting for me at the shop – we should probably pack up, too."

"Oh – sure. I'll grab the boxes," Bella said softly. She was disappointed that the day was already over – she had enjoyed every second of it.

"Can I ask you something, before we go? Something kind of, um, personal?" Masen picked at the tape holding up the big price sign and licked his bottom lip.

"Of course – what's up?" Bella replied, curious.

"Are you seeing anyone?" His voice was barely above a whisper.

"I – um, no. I'm not." The atmosphere had shifted into the awkward zone – Bella tucked her hair behind her ears to keep her hands busy.

"Would you like to go out sometime? Uh – with me?"

A giggle escaped Bella's lips against her will. She internally cursed her body for defying her – a nervous reaction, but definitely not what she was meaning to do. The laughter kept building, and soon Masen joined in on it, too.

"That was pretty lame, wasn't it?" he chuckled.

"No, no –" she replied, finally catching her breath. "I'm sorry – I don't know why, but I just do that when I'm nervous. It actually kind of makes me feel better that you aren't always so smooth either."

"I'm far from smooth, Bella," he sighed. "But no pressure if you aren't up for it. I just had a great time with you today."

"I would really love to," Bella replied, meaning every word. "Rose and her new sorta-boyfriend are picking me up here in about a half hour for drinks – you can come if you want."

"Oh, no. I have to meet Alice," he answered somewhat briskly. Bella noticed an instant shift in his demeanor – he stared at his watch, flipped open his phone, and started typing out a text hurriedly – all without looking back at her.

"Ok, just thought I'd ask." Bella shrugged off the change in him, even though she wasn't quite sure what it meant, and got back to loading up the last of the materials. "Let me know what works."

"I will." He shoved his phone back in his pocket and once again seemed at ease. "I'm sorry about that. I hope we can meet soon – maybe even tomorrow night, if you're free."

"I am – I work the day shift. How 'bout we'll meet up at The Metro?"

"It's a date," Masen said with a grin. "Have a good night, Bella," he said, leaning a little closer to her. Bella stepped into him, not wanting to come on too strong. She raised an arm to embrace him in a friendly hug. Just in that slight squeeze, she felt the pull towards him grow stronger. He smelled like clean laundry and freshness. It took Bella a moment to realise that she'd caught herself lingering just a little too long. She pulled back, noticing how cold he felt as their fingers softly brushed in passing. She couldn't believe that in his attempt to be chivalrous, he'd let himself get so chilled. "Geez, you're freezing! Go get in your car before you get sick!" she cried.

"It's ok, but I'd better go. Take care, Bella – be safe."

As Bella watched Masen walk across the parking lot, she was overwhelmed by feelings – lust, intrigue, desire and so much more. She was falling for this man that she was just getting to know at a frightening speed, and while she wanted to dive in head first and embrace it, something deep inside her was unsettled by this fact. Not to mention that although she was deeply attracted to him, something about Masen seemed off – even odd. She just couldn't quite put her finger on what it was yet.

Bella checked her phone one last time, and realised that Rose and her date would be arriving any minute. She grabbed her empty coffee cup and reached across the table for Masen's, only to find that it was completely full – not even missing a drop. She tossed the two cups into the garbage can anyway, just as the sound of deep, throbbing bass filled the quiet park.

Sure enough, the door of a bright red sports car with dark tinted windows flung open only seconds after it came to a stop. Out hopped Rosalie Hale – dressed to kill in a sequined miniskirt and sky high heels.

"Bella! Get over here – come meet Emmett!" she called out.

"Hey! Coming!" Bella called back, happy to see her friend so happy. Rose was beaming – Bella could tell by the wide smile spread across her face just how excited she was to show off Emmett.

"You can't be serious, girl," Rose groaned, raking her eyes over Bella's heavily clothed frame as she got closer to the car. "I guess we're stopping at home first, hmm?"

"Yeah, I'm all wet," Bella chuckled, leaning down to recline the passenger seat forward.

Behind the steering wheel, an absolutely gigantic, ruggedly handsome man locked eyes with her. Bella froze – they weren't just any eyes that she was gazing into, but a strange pair of amber eyes – amber eyes like she'd only seen twice before in her entire lifetime. He held her gaze while the corners of his mouth turned up into a big mischievous grin. "That's what she said –" he blurted, earning a groan from Rose just outside of the car, "and it's a pleasure to finally meet you, Bella."

**Thank you so much for reading and reviewing – I always love to hear your thoughts! xoxo**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N My sincerest apologies for the delay. Thank you for sticking with me! Last chapter we left off with Emmett and Rose picking Bella up after she spent the day with "Masen". Major thanks to my amazing beta Robzbeanie and my awesome prereader CShepherd91. xoxo**

Edward paced the floor in the grand entryway of the Cullen home in anticipation of Alice and Jasper's arrival. He was outraged – absolutely furious – that he hadn't been informed that Bella would be meeting Emmett face to face. As soon as Bella mentioned that Rose and her boyfriend would be picking her up from the business fair, he shot an angry text to Alice. Her reply of "GO STRAIGHT HOME NOW!" only made him angrier.

The fact that he could have changed his plans – invited her out somewhere, anywhere – to keep her away from his ridiculous and occasionally dangerous brother if he would have known in advance was eating him alive. He knew that in an everyday, ordinary situation, he wouldn't have the luxury of such things, but the situation he'd gotten himself into with Bella was neither everyday nor ordinary. Car keys clutched tightly in his hand, he was on the verge of ignoring Alice's demands and making a surprise appearance at the bar himself.

"Don't even think about it," Alice barked, as the front door swung wide open. "I'll have Jasper pin you down if I have to. You're not going anywhere near them."

"Why didn't you tell me that Emmett was picking her up tonight?" Edward hollered, his grip on his keys growing tighter.

"Because I knew you'd interfere. You don't get to decide where she goes and who she sees, Mister 1900's."

"I think I should have a say when the company that she's keeping isn't even human!" he snapped back.

"What were you even gonna do anyway?" Alice pressed, crossing her arms across her chest. "You said yourself that you don't want to lie to her any more than you have to – how weird would it be to have you and Emmett there side by side? There's no way you two could've pulled that off without setting off alarms. He would have said something, done something –"

"I just want her to be safe," Edward interrupted with a deep sigh, parking himself on the loveseat behind him. "You know Emmett."

"Alice saw, bro – it'll all be just fine," Jasper added. "We'd do anything we could to stop him from screwing up. With anyone, let alone Bella."

"And for crying out loud, Edward," Alice lectured, "She's my friend too, you know. Don't try to imply that you're the only one who cares. They're going to his bar – he's DJ'ing, the girls are gonna have a few drinks, and then Bella's going home alone early." As Alice spoke the words, Edward watched fragments of the vision play out in her mind.

"At least they'll be in public," he muttered.

"There is one little problem though –" Alice replied, casting a wary look in Jasper's direction. Almost instantly, a sedating wave blanketed the room.

"What do you mean, a problem?"

"She's starting to question things. We have to come up with a plan here, Edward – and quick."

xoxoxoxoxoxo

Rose and Emmett waited in the car outside while Bella ran into her apartment to change and do something with her hair. A day outside in the damp and cold had left it limp and lifeless, so she threw it into a messy knot and stuck it together with a shiny flower pin her mother had made for her in one of her crafty phases. She grabbed her favorite little black dress and a pair of sparkly black flats, dumped a wad of cash from her tip pile and some essentials in a clutch, and headed back outside.

In the car on the way over, as Bella purposely studied Emmett in the rear view mirror, she couldn't help but notice the small affectionate gestures exchanged between Emmett and Rose. Her friend seemed so content and peaceful, but Bella couldn't stop her mind from racing. She wondered if perhaps she should take a page from Rose's book and relax, but she couldn't – there was something strange going on, and it was driving her insane that she didn't know what it was.

After the initial shock of meeting Emmett, and noticing the strange resemblance his eyes bore to Masen's and Alice's, Bella realized that the similarities between them ended there. Emmett was loud, outgoing, comical – a complete contrast to Masen. Although it was odd, she resolved to at least attempt to brush the thought that they were somehow connected aside, and chalked it up to simply having Masen on her mind.

"I've heard some stories about the trouble you two have gotten into – sounds like you're pretty wild there, Bella."

"What did you tell him?" she asked Rose playfully.

"Don't worry – just the story about the staff party. You know the one – with the margaritas and the box on your head?"

"I have no idea what she's talking about, Emmett," Bella replied, her cheeks getting hot.

"Well, you sound like my kind of people, Swan. I hope you like my place – that's it up on the left."

The club that Emmett DJ'd at was a lot different from the Metro. It was loud and dark with heavy bass, colored lighting and strobes flashing everywhere. Emmett was treated like a celebrity of sorts – girls stopped and stared as he easily made his way through the crowds and guys moved quickly out of the way of his massive frame.

"VIPs up here," Emmett called back towards Bella over the music. Rose followed along on his arm up a narrow staircase, to a loft looking over the packed dance floor. Bella was stunned at how gorgeous the pair looked together – Rose glowed as Emmett protectively maneuvered her through the thick crowds, his hands gentle on her waist. They belonged on the cover of a magazine, and it was clear by the reaction of those around them that Bella wasn't the only one who thought that way.

"What do you drink, Swan?" he asked once they were seated – a waitress instantly appearing.

"Oh – um, a vodka cran?" Bella replied and started digging through her purse for cash.

"Lightweight," he teased, sending a wink in her direction. "Two tequilas, a vodka cran and a gin and tonic for the ladies. On my tab." He nodded to the waitress, slipping a bill onto her tray.

"I'm a lightweight? Where's yours?" Bella scoffed.

"Em doesn't drink. He's on a special diet for body building and stuff," Rose yelled out so Bella could hear, cupping Emmett's knee in her palm. "He's got a blood pressure condition, too – feel his hands – he's always so cold!"

"It's just the price you pay for looking this good," he shrugged, stretching his muscled arms over the back of the lounger.

"Is he always this full of shit?" Bella chuckled at Rose. It was clear to Bella that Emmett had quite an ego, but it seemed to be all in good fun.

The drinks arrived and conversation was easy – as soon as the first round was done, another appeared instantly in its place. Bella watched Emmett and Rose getting cozier on the couch and she still couldn't help but feel like something wasn't quite right about him. Looking around at the other attractive guys in the room, Bella noticed they didn't have the same spark – the same something that she couldn't put her finger on – that both Emmett and Masen shared.

Somewhat overwhelmed by her thoughts, Bella guzzled down the last inch of her drink and dragged Rose off to the bathroom.

"I don't even have to pee, B, but oh my God! What do you think of him?" Rose asked breathlessly, pulling Bella into the stall with her.

"He's funny and definitely hot. I like him," Bella replied, unsure of quite how to word her suspicions.

"But?"

"But what?"

"I can tell there's a but," Rose pouted, her back turned on Bella while she did her business. "I know you, and I know you have a but."

"Ok – you got me. There kind of is," Bella sighed. She knew how excited about Emmett Rose was – the last thing she wanted was to burst her best friend's bubble. "It's just – do you think there's something weird about him? This is gonna sound crazy, but I noticed the same thing with Masen today."

"I met Masen, honey. He and Em are nothing alike," Rose replied firmly, following Bella out of the stall.

"I know – but their eyes are the same! And this blood pressure thing? Is that even real? And the way people act around them, and just the way they move so smoothly – I don't know what it is," she rambled, taking her frustration out on a sheet of paper towel she used to wipe her hands dry. "Maybe I'm just paranoid – I really do like Masen. I like both of them. I'm sorry – I'm not trying to be a downer."

"You're never a downer, B. I do sorta know what you're saying – he is different, but I think it's a good thing, you know? He's got priorities and goals and stuff. I just feel like I'm being pulled to him – and we haven't even had sex yet."

"Get out!" Bella teased, knowing this was actually a pretty big deal for Rose.

"I'm not kidding! He said he's on a celibate streak – something to do with a mental awareness cleanse?"

"And how are you making out with that?" Bella snorted, finding this idea of a "cleanse" another odd detail that was just too hard to believe.

"I'm tolerating it. He's lucky he's as hot as he is. I just keep telling myself that he'll be worth it."

"Guess we'll see, hey?" Bella said wearily, linking her arm in her best friend's. "Maybe they both will be."

xoxoxoxox

"I put you in a really awkward position, and I'm sorry, B. It was weak."

The time had finally come for Bella to face the music with Mike. She'd ducked out of the club early, knowing that working the day shift alone with Mike would be tough. He'd been extra helpful during her shift – clearing her tables, refilling drinks for her customers if she didn't get there right away, and ringing up tabs for her without even being asked. She had tried to avoid getting caught with him alone during the day, but when it came time to cash out Mike had cornered her – insisting that they finally smooth things out between them.

"You did. I want no part of your stupid game with Jessica. I've dealt with enough of that crap of my own – you know that," Bella replied, her irritation obvious as she counted out her float.

"I know and I'm sorry. It won't happen again. I cleared things up with Jess, too – told her we're just friends and that I'm an asshole."

"Well, at least you're aware." Bella gave Mike a playful nudge to the ribs. He had been a good friend, a good boss and someone that she felt safe and comfortable around. She knew that she couldn't hang on to the grudge forever – he appeared sincerely apologetic. "Get out of my way though, dude. I need that mirror."

"Where you going?" Mike asked, as Bella started touching up her makeup in the staff room mirror.

"I have a date."

"A real date?" he teased. It was fairly common knowledge amongst her closer friends that dating wasn't something Bella did a lot of.

"Is that so hard to believe?"

"No – it's just not your usual, I guess. Who's the guy?"

"His name's Masen. Remember that palm reader, Alice? He's her brother," Bella replied, watching to see Mike's reaction to that in the mirror over her shoulder.

"Oh really?" Mike asked, his face lighting up. "Is he a clown?"

"You're not funny," Bella replied, tapping loose eye shadow from her brush.

"Does he shoot himself out of a cannon?"

"Still not funny," Bella replied dryly, but the smile turning up on the corners of her lips showed that she was cracking.

"Tame lions?"

"He's a stockbroker or something, Mike! Quit it – I actually really like him."

"Well that's no fun, but good, B. I'm happy for you. Text me if he turns out to be a creep and I'll come pick you up."

"Deal," Bella said with a smile. She doubted she'd need him, but she thought it was sweet that Mike had her back. "Now get out of here – I need to change."

xoxoxox

"I know a quiet place – a coffee shop, if that's alright?" Masen asked. He'd arrived a little earlier than expected at The Metro, just as Bella had finished getting ready. The pair had taken off in his vehicle – a silver Volvo that Bella found ridiculously modest in comparison to Alice's luxury sports car – and had settled in for the drive while making comfortable small talk.

"Sounds good. I could use a coffee– it was busy at work today." Bella yawned, stretching out a little in her seat. She noticed how impeccably clean the car was – not a speck of dust or dirt to be found.

"Do you like your job and what you do?" Masen asked.

"Um, yeah? I think so," Bella replied, caught a little off guard by his question. "I don't know – it's not what I ever imagined I'd be doing, but it's alright."

"What would you rather be doing?" he asked, keeping his eyes on the road. Bella was getting so caught up in the smoothness of his voice – the casual way he handled the steering wheel, the way his jaw moved as he spoke – that she found coming up with a coherent reply to his deepening questions increasingly difficult.

"I always wanted to be a chef – back at home I worked at the diner in the kitchen for a while before they put me up front," she began, remembering the small truck stop and the faces of the regulars who frequented it. "Everyone thought it was stupid to go to school for something like that though – sometimes I kind of wish now that I'd never listened. What about you? Do you like what you're doing?" she asked, taking herself out of the line of fire.

"I've done a lot of different things. But right now, I'm the happiest I've been in a long time," Masen replied, as he looked over at her with a smile.

Once they arrived at the coffee shop, the conversation between Bella and Masen steadily flowed. They were seated in cozy leather chairs, a fireplace flickering behind them. Bella felt warm, comfortable, at ease, but the questions in the back of her mind were starting to scream at her. She wanted to open up to Masen – to start off on the right foot with honesty and openness – the two key things she knew were missing from relationships past.

"Have you dated a lot?" Bella asked, swirling her spoon in her mug of hot coffee.

"No, not really. I guess you could say I'm old fashioned?" Masen answered with a nervous chuckle. Bella could tell he was uncomfortable with the subject. It didn't make any sense to her – the way women reacted to his very presence, his insanely good looks and his polite and thoughtful manners – he had no reason to be so uneasy.

"Ok – that's it," Bella said, putting down her coffee mug and tossing her hands in the air. "I need to figure this out. What's your deal?"

"What do you mean?" Masen replied cautiously.

"You never eat, you're practically flawless. Spill it – you're hiding something, or something – I don't even know!"

"I don't think I –"

"No!" Bella interrupted, trying to keep her voice down but finding it difficult with her rising frustration. "Don't try to be all coy with me here. Something's up. I know it."

Bella watched as Masen licked his lips and shoved his sleeves up his toned forearms. He looked concerned – even hurt. "I'm sorry if I have offended you somehow, Bella. It has never been my intention."

His eyes met with hers and she could feel the sincerity radiating through his gaze. It was becoming pretty clear to Bella that Masen was keeping something from her, but he wasn't trying to hurt her with whatever it was. In fact, by the pained expression on his face, it looked to her like it was hurting him to hide it.

"You haven't," Bella sighed. "It's just that I – I really like you, and I feel like there's so much about you that I don't know – like you're keeping things from me."

He nodded slowly, focusing his attention on his knuckles. "I am," he answered softly. "You're special to me, Bella. I know I've only just met you, but I want you to know that you are."

"I want to be around you, and spend more time with you," Bella replied softly. "But I can't do that if you don't come clean. I've been hurt, and I need complete honesty."

"I understand," he spoke, swallowing hard. "My life is just – it's very complicated. I'll tell you everything there is to know about me – just please, Bella," he pleaded, "Give me some time. It's not easy for me."

"I think I can do that," Bella resigned. She didn't want to let him go, and although she didn't get the answers that she so desperately wanted, it was progress. "There's still a lot about me that you don't know either, I guess."

"I want to know more about you, too. I genuinely hope you'll give me the chance."

xoxoxoxo

"Tell me everything!" Alice had been waiting patiently for Edward's return – the moment he walked through the door, she burst up from the living room couch and met him at an inhuman speed.

"What can I tell you that you don't already know?" Edward huffed.

"Oh please – I'm not that rude, Edward. Me and Jas were, well, busy," she replied with a giggle.

"What else is new?" he groaned, scrubbing his face with his palms. "It went alright – good even. We sat and talked for at least a few hours, but you were right – she's on to us. She's going to give me some time to open up, and I started to a bit with minor things, but I just don't know how on earth we're gonna do this, Alice."

"Was there a kiss?" Alice asked slyly, wide-eyed and grinning.

"A small one, but for crying out loud – can we get to the important matters here?"

"Fine. But you're no fun. I spoke to Esme and Carlisle while you were out – they're coming back in a week or so, give or take a few days. We're gonna plan a trip to the cabin."

"And this involves Bella how?"

"We're gonna invite her along, silly." Edward watched as mental pictures of snow falling outside the tall windows of the cabin and a roaring fireplace flashed through Alice's mind.

"Right. So we get the girl alone, bring her to a remote location in the woods, and tell her that we're all vampires?" Edward asked incredulously.

"Precisely."

"That's absurd."

"No – it really isn't. It's the safest way. We'll all be there. If it goes really badly, we'll have Esme wipe her clean."

Edward paced the floor a moment, contemplating this plan. As much as he hated to admit it, it made sense. Wiping minds took a great toll on Esme, but being out at the cabin was the safest place for it. If the reveal went poorly, they could erase a small period of time around it if they played their cards right. "Can you see it?" he asked.

"It's fuzzy."

"Fuzzy isn't what I want to hear," Edward muttered.

"We haven't even asked her yet to come though, or nailed down any certainties. I'll let you know as soon as I see more. Wait – I know!" Alice perked up, not at all distracted by Edward's lack of confidence. "How about I'll invite her, instead of you? That way it'll be a bit more low key, right? I'll see if she wants to hang out at the shop for a bit tomorrow, and I'll take care of it then."

"Ok," Edward sighed, still not entirely convinced that this was a foolproof plan. "I suppose the sooner the better."

xoxoxoxox

Bella woke to the sound of a text alert just as sunlight started peering through her sheer curtains. Alice wanted her to come by the shop and visit for the morning, so she figured she'd make the trek over after she had the chance to enjoy the comfort of her bed for a few more minutes. Not even five minutes after Alice's text arrived, she received one from Masen asking her if she'd slept well.

Bella thought back on the night before. After she'd confronted Masen about the obvious secrets he was keeping, they still managed to spend the rest of the evening talking and laughing as though they were lifelong friends.

She allowed her mind to drift back to the end of the night – after Masen had driven her home, he walked her to the front door of her apartment and commented on the flimsy security system. Bella had turned around to give a snarky reply after she removed her key, and there he was – leaning in slightly towards her face, one forearm propped against the doorframe beside her. Their eyes locked and Bella felt the air whoosh from her chest as they both stood frozen still. He'd leaned in and placed a gentle kiss on her cheek, his lips cool. As quickly as he'd caught her off guard, he'd backed away – uttering a simple, "Goodnight, Bella," before heading back towards his car.

While she threw on some clean clothes, Bella debated calling Rose to fill her in on "the big cheek kiss" but couldn't bring herself to do it. The moment felt too precious to share. She knew that somehow her well-meaning friend would crack a joke and it would be tainted. Something as simple as a peck on the cheek had her stomach flipping in circles – had her feeling like a princess – and it was equal parts strange and incredible at the same time.

Giving up on buying food and drinks for her new friends, Bella stopped for a coffee for herself then headed straight for the shop. She was anxious to see if Alice had anything to say about Masen's and her date. Even though Bella knew it was kind of shady to dig around with his sister, she couldn't help but be curious.

"Miss me yet?" Bella called out, pushing the heavy purple front door of Palmistry aside.

"Of course. But more importantly," Alice started, her voice rising with a hint of a giggle, "Masen's on his way over so I gotta ask you quick – how was your date?"

"Good. It's just – I don't know." Bella watched as Alice's face fell. "I really like him – a lot – but I feel like he's got some big walls up. Something's just off. I shouldn't be saying this. He's your brother, and –"

"No!" Alice cut her off, her smile returning. "It's fine Bella, really. Like I said before, he's shy and he's different. We're all kind of an odd bunch."

"Well, I guess I fit in then," she chuckled.

"You know what? I know just what will help. You need to come camping with us!"

"Uh, camping?" Bella asked nervously.

"Don't worry – it's not like backwoods or anything. We have a gorgeous cabin about an hour out of the city. It's the closest to camping that our family gets, but it's always fun. We're all going next weekend – our parents will be back then and there's plenty of room. What do you say?"

"I don't know –" Bella paused, weighing it out for a second. "I guess it would be a good chance for more time with Masen, and a break from the bar."

"Exactly! My family is a good time – it'd be a new experience to say the least, right?" Alice said excitedly.

"Ok. I'll see if I can get the time off, but only if it's ok with everyone else. I don't want to intrude or anything."

"Nonsense. It'll be perfectly fine. Speak of the devil!" Alice said with a wink as Masen walked through the door carrying a small bouquet of flowers.

"Hi – thought these would brighten the place up a little. It's all doom and gloom in here," he said, shutting the door behind him. "Bella –" he said, surprised. "I'm glad you came."

"Just stopping in for a visit – think I'll stick around awhile." She smiled, as the combination of nerves and excitement she felt in her belly anytime Masen was around returned.

"Bella's gonna come with us next weekend – that'll be awesome, right?" Alice said eagerly.

"Only if it's ok with everyone though – I don't want to impose," Bella insisted, fidgeting nervously with her fingers.

"It's perfect," he said softly with a grin.

"That reminds me – I've gotta get this box unpacked. I have someone coming in for a crystal reading at 4:00," Alice said, picking up a box marked "fragile" in bright red pen. "Masen – do you think you could help me with the –" She made it halfway to her heavy wooden table, but suddenly stopped dead in her tracks – the box crashing to the floor. "Oh, no," she gasped.

"Alice? What's –" Masen started, then froze mid-sentence. Bella looked back and forth between the pair as they stared at each other with wide eyes, looking as if they'd seen a ghost.

Mere seconds later, the door of the shop banged opened wide. A petite woman with long auburn hair and a tall blond man burst through the door, wearing a beaming pair of wide smiles on their faces.

"Alice! Edward!" the woman shrieked out happily. "It worked! We're back early! Surprise!"

**Thanks again for sticking around after this wait. I always love to hear your thoughts. I hope to get the next one out much quicker…won't leave you hanging here too long! xoxo**


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